Red Snowflake
by iheartcrona123
Summary: Mifune is a Gotham student left to take care of Angela,a witch.Black Star is the heir to the White Star Mafia,and wants his father's approval. Boss Medusa and Arachne are Mafias fighting for control of territory, all the while trying to eradicate Boss White Star.Crona is a teen struggling to find a place to belong. Meanwhile,Young Justice is conflicted about what a villain truly is
1. Chapter 1

Prologue 1

AUTHOR'S NOTES: My first real crossover! I've been thinking about this story line for a while, so I hope y'all like it.

Gotham City isn't the greatest city. Heck, it isn't even a decent city. With psychos like the Joker and Poison Ivy, Gotham isn't exactly sunshine and rainbows. The skies are always dark with rain clouds, and the black skyline only adds to the creepiness. I've lived here for thirteen years, and I still hate this city. That is, until I found the witch.

It was just a normal day, like any other. I was getting back home from school, Gotham Academy. I had to walk back to the apartment my parents left me before they died, just like any other day. To get home, though, I would take this short cut through what some of my class mates called "Crime Alley." It had a lot of crime, but it was basically the Skid Row of Gotham City, nothing more. Anyways, I was walking through there one day, when I heard some strange sounds coming from one of the several alley ways. I glanced to my side, and noticed two shady looking guys surrounding someone.

"We're sorry little girl," one of the guys said, "But we need to take your soul for Boss White Star."

"Don't worry, we'll make it quick," the other guy laughed as he took out a pocket knife.

"Yeah, real quick," the first guy said, pulling out a gun.

"Wait!" another voice called out, "D-don't kill me! I-I'm just trying to go to school! You've got the wrong person!"

"Whatever," both guys said as they pointed their weapons at what I believed was a little kid. I hated guys like that, guys who thought they could pick on children. I reached into my back pocket, and pulled out a switchblade.

"Yo," I growled at the two punks, "Back off. There's no need to hurt a little girl, right?" I will admit I thought I was being a bit cool. The two guys turned around, a frown on their faces.

"Who the hell are you?" one guy said, pointing his knife at me.

"He's a witness," the other said, "So we gotta kill 'im." He held his gun sideways at me, apparently to look gangster. _How cliché,_I thought with annoyance as I threw my switchblade at the guy with the gun. It stuck into his wrist as his idiotic "gangster" style back fired on him. The gun misfired, completely missing me as I took out another switchblade. I quickly stabbed the other creep in the neck, making him fall down quickly. I guess keeping my parents' knives with me was handy after all. They used to own a weapons shop, and always told me to keep a knife on me when I'm walking home from school. Thanks a lot, mom and dad. I glanced down at the guy with the knife in his wrist. He was running away down the alley, holding on to his injured wrist._Let him run,_I thought with satisfaction.

"Please don't hurt me!" a voice called out. I looked down towards where the voice was calling. Below me, I saw a girl dressed in some sort of chameleon outfit. She had on a lime green dress, and wore her hair in small, brunette sections. A black witch hat was seated atop her head. Her magenta eyes sparkled under the dark Gotham clouds.

"I wouldn't hurt you," I said, kneeling down, placing my hand on her shoulder, "I don't see any reason to."

"Liar!" the little girl cried, pulling away from me, "You're gonna try and take my magic away for your Boss!"

"My boss?" I asked, puzzled. The little girl nodded.

"Uh-huh," she said, "Your mob boss wants my soul so he can use my magic, right?"

"Huh?" I said in confusion, "What are you talking about? Magic isn't real, and I don't belong to any mob boss."

"Prove it!" the little girl said wide eyed, "And I won't hurt you."

"How are you gonna hurt me?" I asked, "I mean, I just saved you from two guys with weapons, so I'm pretty sure you don't really have anything on-CRAP!" Just as I was about to finish my sentence, the little girl kicked me in the crotch. She pulled away, smirking.

"Right in the balls," she said with a grin. I fell over, holding my front. I wished I had a catapult to throw this kid out of the way.

"Why'd you do that?" I murmured in pain. The little girl raised an eyebrow as I stumbled up, leaning against an alley wall.

"To see if you'd try to hurt me afterwards. Usually I know if someone's trying to kill me after a shot to the crotch."

"You think someone wouldn't wanna kill you?" I gasped as I sat down against the alley wall.

"But nice people wouldn't want to hurt me." The little girl looked at me wide eyed in confusion.

"That isn't exactly the case, little girl."

"My name's Angela Leon," the girl said frowning, "So don't forget it."

I have to admit, she was pretty funny back then.

"I won't," I said as the pain faded away, "But we'll probably have to get you to your parents."

Angela sat next to me.

"I don't have parents," she said, "They left about two weeks ago."

"What do you mean they left?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They just left one morning. I was in the kitchen, trying to look for breakfast, when they went to the door and told me they had to leave me so I could grow up and become one of either Boss Medusa's or Boss Arachne's witches."

"So," I said skeptically, "You're saying that your parents left you so you could become a witch."

"Yup," Angela said smartly, "When a witch turns four or five, her parents leave so she can either die or become a powerful witch. That's what my Mommy told me, anyway."

"If you're a witch," I said with a sigh, "Then show me some of your magic."

"Okay," Angela said, standing up, "Here we go."

She raised her hands, pointing them towards the adjacent alley wall.

"Chama, chama, chama, chama," she started to chant as a green light shone around her fingertips._Is she trying to say chameleon?_I thought to myself.

"Angela," I started, "What are you trying to-"

"CHAMELEON!" she shrieked as the green light burst from her fingertips towards the wall. The light hit the wall for a moment, and then vanished into smoke. From the smoke, an etching of a pentagram appeared on the wall. I stumbled up in amazement.

"How can you do that?" I asked in awe.

Angela grinned and said, "I'm a witch. I can do stuff like that."

"I...wow, I guess you were telling the truth."

"I always tell the truth," Angela said looking up at me. I glanced down at her. She gave me a smile, and tugged on my beige trench coat.

"Something wrong?" I ask as she keeps pulling on it. Angela's expression turned gloomy.

"Could you be my parent?" Angela asked, "You know, like take care of me and stuff, until I can become a strong enough witch?"

"Aren't you strong enough?" I said in shock. Angela shook her head.

"No," Angela said, "I can only make pretty pictures on walls. That's why I couldn't beat up those guys." Angela kept her eyes on me as if she were waiting for me to do something. I couldn't just leave her there, so I bent down and looked down intently at her. I dug into my coat pocket until I felt the crisp wrapping paper of the hard candies I keep with me.

"Here you go," I said as I handed Angela the hard candy, "Eat this while I take you to my apartment." Then I grabbed her hand as I took her out of the alley way.

"Wait Mr.," Angela said, as I walked briskly through Gotham, "What's your name?" The sun was setting, so I began walking even faster. Night was when even more of those mobsters came out.

"My name's Mifune," I said quickly, "Mifune Hosigaki." Street lights began flickering on and I began quickening my pace to a jog. I grabbed Angela and clung her tight to me as I began running down the sidewalk. Home was about five minutes away and the sky was already turning a dark shade of blue and deep red tint.

"What're you doing Mr. Mifune?" Angela cried, "Why're you running so fast?"

"Gotham isn't safe at night, Angela," I said with short breath, "You know that, right?"

"Not really," Angela said, "I mean, there are a lot more bad people at night, but night isn't badder." Angela began to bite into her hard candy as I reached my apartment. I climbed up the stairs leading to the apartment, and I walked up to door 118. I pulled out the key from my pants pocket, and unlocked the door. I walked in, closed the door, put Angela down, and sat down on the couch.

"There's some food in the fridge," I say, gasping for air. Angela stayed by the doorway, staring at me.

"You're giving me food?" she gulped.

"Yeah," I said, my breath slowing down, "Eat as much as you want. It's no problem." Angela kept staring at me, and then ran towards the mini fridge in the kitchen. I could hear her munching on the leftovers I had the night before. I sighed, got up, and walked into the kitchen. Angela was eating leftover McDonald's french fries on the ground. Barely any were left in the red box.

"Wait a sec, Angela," I said, kneeling down, "Don't eat too fast." I pulled out some instant ramen from a cabinet next to the fridge. "I'll make you some ramen, okay? Just sit over there," I pointed to a table in the living room, "And I'll get you a bowl and some silver ware."

"Do you want me to throw out the box?" Angela said through a french fried filled mouth.

"Don't worry about it," I said, picking up the box, "I've got it. You just go sit down."

"Okay," Angela agreed, skipping over to the table and sitting down. I read the instructions on the ramen packet, and then placed it in the microwave after stirring it in a bowl.

"How long will it be, Mr. Mifune?" Angela asked.

"Two minutes," I replied, "And just call me Mifune."

"Got it."

"I have a question," I asked as the microwave beeped, showing that the ramen was ready.

"What is it?" Angela began chewing on the skin of her thumb as I pulled the ramen out. I took out a plastic fork from a box on the counter top and placed it on the table in front of Angela. She quickly began stuffing her mouth with noodles.

"How old are you?" I ask, sitting in front of Angela.

"Four and a half," she said with noodles pouring out of her mouth, causing her words to sound illiterate.

"Four and a half," I murmured to myself.

"Can I ask you a question?" Angela asked after finishing her ramen.

"Sure," I complied.

"Where are your parents?" Angela seemed so innocent then. I sighed.

"They died, leaving me this apartment. Since child care services are equivalent to that of McDonald's, no one really cared. My dad owned a weaponry shop, so I just take care of it for him."

"How'd they die?" I didn't want to answer, but I indulged her.

"They left me home when they were going to get some groceries. When they were coming back, some guy mugged and killed them."

"Oh," Angela said gloomily.

"But it's okay," I said a bit brightly, trying to cheer her up, "It's been okay since then. I'm fourteen, and I buy and sell weapons. The land lady's nice, and doesn't make me pay as much as this apartment's worth. It really is okay."

"Alright, that's good." Angela smiled, and then asked, "Should I put the dishes away?" I shook my head.

"It's alright," I answered, grabbing the dishes, "You just go to bed and I'll take care of everything." There were two bedrooms, so Angela could have her own room.

"Okay, good night," Angela said cheerfully as she walked into the bedroom, leaving me in the kitchen. I sighed, and looked out the window to see Gotham's night. Below the window, my sword was hanging against the wall. I gulped, thinking about those mobsters. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was Angela, and protecting her. Although everything wasn't making much sense at the time, I understood then that I would always be protecting her. Forever.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: REVIEW!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Lost

AUTHOR'S NOTES: REVIEW!

_"Karen Williams died this evening from a heart attack. A well respected community member, Williams was the land lady of various apartments. With her mass income, she has become well known for donating to charity. Ms. Williams' son is said to be taking ownership of the apartments."_

The news blared as Mifune watched the TV wide eyed. Angela was drawing in a coloring book in the other room as the noon time sun began setting along the horizon. She had stayed for nearly two months with Mifune, and things had been going seemingly well._He's evil,_Mifune thought,_The land lady was so nice...why'd she leave our home to a piece of trash like that?!_Mifune gulped as the news reported on other events of the day. Even though the report was gone, Mifune felt a chill down his spine. His landlord was dead from a heart attack, and now her son, who prided himself in taking every last penny he could get out of people, was going to be the new landlord. Mifune had barely survived with the reduced rent that his landlady made him pay. Now her son was probably going to double it, if he was in a good mood.

A vicious knocking pounded on the door. Mifune glanced towards the door, walked over, and opened it. As expected, it was the land lady's son.

"Hello Mifune," he said slyly, "We need to talk."

"Of course, Eric," Mifune said calmly, "You can-" Eric pushed his way through Mifune, and walked over to Angela's room. He turned the knob, and opened the door, finding Angela.

"Oh, hello Mister," Angela said, looking up, "Are you Mifune's friend?"

"Yes," Eric growled, shutting the door and turning to Mifune.

"Is something wrong?" Mifune said, closing the apartment door. Eric sat down on the couch.

"Unfortunately, yes, there is a problem."

"What is it?" Mifune growled through folded arms. Eric sighed.

"According to the Gotham PD, I can't keep two minors in my apartments without them having a parental guardian. So, I need to put you and that girl into Child Service's hands." Eric smiled as Mifune tensed.

"Fine," Mifune sighed, "Go and call them."

"Don't leave," Eric said as he walked out of the apartment and locked the door behind him. Mifune frowned, and opened Angela's bedroom door.

"Pack your things," he said gruffly, "We're leaving."

"Leaving where?"

"Anywhere but here," Mifune said, picking Angela up as she held onto her coloring book.

"I thought you wanted me to pack my stuff," Angela groaned sourly. Mifune opened a nearby window and jumped out two stories. Angela screamed until they landed in an alley way.

"We don't have time," Mifune mumbled. Angela was gasping.

"How...did you do that?" Angela gulped as Mifune ran down the alley way.

"When I was little," he said through short breaths, "I found out that I never felt pain when I fell down. It was weird. I remember it really clearly. I fell down, scraping my knee. I_saw_myself bleeding, but I didn't feel anything. Later, I never scraped my knee again. I remember another thing, too. One time, I was looking out the window, but a strong wind pushed me out because I had half of my body hanging out of the window. Anyways, when I fell, nothing happened. I fell two stories, but nothing happened. I just got back up."

"That's super cool," Angela said in awe. Mifune turned a corner, ran through Crime Alley, and arrived at his school. Mifune stopped, and glanced at Gotham University. A light snow began to fall. Behind the gates surrounding the school was a bronze statue of Bruce Wayne, their main sponsor.

"Angela," Mifune said, "Never rely on anyone but me, okay? No one will love or care for you like I would, so don't trust anyone but me."

"Okay, Mifune. Why are you telling me this?" Angela clung onto Mifune's shoulder.

"I'm telling you so that you're safe," Mifune replied, "Because I've relied on too many people."

"Okay," Angela said happily. Mifune sighed, and turned towards Crime Alley.

"Angela," he started, "I need you to stay close."

Mifune shivered under the heavy snow. Angela was sleeping close to him as he held his knees to his chest. The two were sitting against an alley wall as snow fell. Mifune breathed shakily.

"So how long's it been?" a voice asked through the alleyway. Mifune turned, and saw a woman smiling in the snow. She wore a green parka, and long blonde braids fell down the front of her shoulders, while the back of her hair was shortly cut.

"Who are you?" Mifune said shakily. The woman smiled, her bright yellow eyes shining under the moon light.

"Boss Medusa," she replied, "I'm the head of the Snake family."

"You mean...you're the mafia?"

"Yup," Medusa said, walking towards Mifune, "And I want you to be part of my 'family.'"

"No," Mifune growled, "I won't let Angela get involved in that."

Medusa shook her head.

"But not coming with me would mean that Angela dies on the street, just like you're about to."

"How do you know me?"

"I have scouts that look for talented individuals in Gotham. My partner, Erika, saw you finding Angela, and reported to me. So, why are you running away?"

"The land lord was gonna take us to child services," Mifune shivered, "If Angela and I got separated, I couldn't protect her. Those other bosses could hurt her."

"Hmm," Medusa said in thought, "I wonder why you like her so much."

"I'm just protecting her until she gets powerful enough to protect herself," Mifune coughed.

"I guess that makes some sense. But if you're protecting Angela, then are you going to let her die here?"

Mifune bit his lip, and stumbled up.

"No," he said glaring at Medusa, "What do you want me to do?"

Medusa grinned.

"I want you to be an assassin for me. You know, kill a family member here, a boss there. You have the skill for it. If you kill for me, then I'll give you and Angela a home. A permanent home."

Mifune sighed, and picked Angela up as she snored.

"Fine, just as long as no kids are hurt."

"I'd never let you kill a child. Now, come with me."

"I hope so," Mifune said as he followed Medusa down the alley.

"This will be your home," Medusa said, gesturing to an abandoned STAR lab on the outskirts of Gotham. Mifune glanced at Medusa.

"How many people do I have to kill to get Angela lunch?"

"None," Medusa said, opening the doors to the lab by entering a pass code. The metal doors slid open, and Medusa stepped in with Mifune at her side. Inside, a group was crowded around a table, playing cards. One was a short, pink haired woman with a striped dress and hat. Another was a five foot one girl with blue hair, and red goggles hung around her neck. A belt with black spheres attached fitted around her waist. She wore an orange mini skirt, a black tank top, and ebony combat boots. A third person, a man, wore a striped prison uniform and a ball and chain. Part of his eye was covered by his brunette hair. The blue haired girl turned to see Medusa, Mifune, and Angela.

"That's Mifune, Boss Medusa," the girl said, pointing to Mifune.

"I know Eruka," Medusa said, walking past Eruka, "I'm not stupid."

"Chee Chee?" the pink haired lady asked. Mifune followed Medusa as she walked up to the pink haired woman.

"Mizune," Medusa started, "Mifune will be joining our team. It will be yours and Eruka's job to take care of his companion, Angela."

"Chee. Chee." The short woman said in supposed anger. She clapped her hands together, and a puff of smoke surrounded her. When the smoke cleared, a woman with pink hair appeared, wearing a revealing striped top that showed her stomach and the lower half of her breasts. She also wore a striped skirt and gloves. Around her naval there was a drawing of mouse whiskers, and a mouse hat topped her head.

"Mizune," Medusa said dangerously, "What's wrong?"

"I am not taking care of a little kid," Mizune said in disgust, "I'm better than that."

"She's a witch, like you," Medusa said, "You can teach her everything you know. Or, the alternative..." Medusa pushed her sleeve up, revealing a snake tattoo. The tattoo began to slowly rise from her skin. Mizune stepped back, clasped her hands, and returned to her small form.

"Chee. Chee," she whimpered in apology. Medusa slid her sleeve back down.

"Good," Medusa smiled, turning to Mifune, "Now, follow me. I'll show you everything."

"Joseph," his father said, "I don't enjoy that girl."

Joseph was sitting in a soft, velvet chair in his father's office. His father, Boss White Star, was staring out through a window that had a perfect view of the Gotham skyline. His office chair lay empty, his desk unoccupied.

"She's kind to me," Joseph grumbled, "She's not like those hoes at school who think I'm sexy 'cause of your status."

"Watch your language, Joseph," White Star scolded.

"Call me Black Star," Black Star moaned. "It sounds cooler."

"You will not get your title until you have succeeded me, Joseph," White Star said with intelligence.

"Joseph's a retarded name." Black star sighed, trying to glance beyond his father's chair and see the skyline.

"That's beyond the point," White Star said, "I don't want that girl around."

"Tsubaki's nice to me, father. She's different from those chicks you try to set me up with."

"Those 'chicks' are daughters of my allies. Their daughters enjoy you, Joseph."

"Whatever," Black Star said, "Tsubaki's staying."

White Star whirled around.

"Don't speak to me like that," he shouted, "That little whore will not stay under my watch. Being around a girl with a family like...hers...will not make the family look good. Tell her to leave, or I will have one of my men escort her out whichever way he likes."

Black Star tightened his grip on the velvet chair.

"Fine," he yelled, standing up and heading for the door, "I'll go tell her."

Black Star ran out the door and ran down the winding staircase that connected White Star's office to the bottom floor of the apartment. Tsubaki was waiting in the living room, reclining on a couch as she read a book. She looked up at Black Star.

"Black Star," she said, smiling, "How's it been?"

Black Star saddened as he sat beside Tsubaki.

"Not good," he sighed, "My dad wants you gone."

"Why?" Tsubaki asked with curiosity.

"He told me that it's about your family."

Tsubaki paled and stood up, closing her book.

"I'll go," she said, shaking. Black Star stood up and followed Tsubaki as she headed for the door.

"Is something wrong Tsubaki?" he asked, "Listen, we can still be friends. I can visit your house. I want you to still be my friend. You're the only one who calls me by my real name and believes I can surpass my dad."

Tsubaki stopped, her hand on the door knob.

"Black Star," she said, "I believe you can take your dad's place. You're completely capable of it. But...you shouldn't hang around someone like me. I'm not classy, I'm not as awesome as you, and my family...my actual family, is filled with tons of bad people."

"Not as many as mine." Black Star laughed, "My dad's murdered lots of people, and my mom's the one who organizes the drug dealings. I can't even remember how many assaults my cousins have done."

Tsubaki shook her head.

"You wouldn't understand," she sighed, tears sliding down her cheek, "Just leave me alone, Black Star!"

Tsubaki ran out the door, Black Star on her heels.

"Tsubaki! Wait!" Black Star cried, "You're my only friend! Stop!"

Tsubaki ran down the street, and turned a corner. Black Star followed her by jay walking across the street as a short cut while Tsubaki crossed a cross walk. Black Star waited on the other side, a grin on his face. Tsubaki slowed down, and stood in front of Black Star.

"I guess I can't run away from you," she sighed, "Unless I show you why your dad's right."

Black Star smirked as Tsubaki took his hand and took him down the street towards the movie theater.

"I wouldn't leave you," he said, "My dad's retarded. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Tsubaki sighed, and stopped about two hundred feet from a street corner. A woman was smoking a cigarette on the street corner, and heavy makeup covered her face. She wore a short, blood red mini skirt, black high heeled boots, and a thin, black tank top. Tsubaki pointed to the woman standing on the street corner.

"What about that prostitute?" Black Star asked with a skeptical smirk.

"_That_is my mom," Tsubaki said through gritted teeth. Black Star paled.

"Oh," he said weakly as Tsubaki grabbed his arm and led him past her mother.

"Hey Tsubaki Chan," the woman said drunkenly, "Do good in school."

Tsubaki ignored her mother and turned a corner that led into Crime Alley. She stopped in front of a beaten apartment complex. Tsubaki pointed to it.

"And_that_is my house," she growled, opening the first door she saw. She walked in with Black Star to see a man slumped over a table, sleeping. A broken Coors Light bottle lay scattered on the stained carpet. Tsubaki pointed to the unconscious man.

"_That_is my dad," she said shakily, "And you wanna know where my brother is?"

Black Star gulped.

"Where?" he asked.

Tsubaki glared at the carpeted floor.

"He's getting transferred to prison because he finally turned eighteen. He killed five people in their sleep 'cause he said it made him 'stronger.'"

Black Star shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh," he mumbled, "That's...too bad."

"Exactly," Tsubaki sighed, gesturing to the rest of her house, "This is why your dad doesn't like me. Because my family isn't a good influence. I get why he doesn't want me around. I'm not a good person to be around."

Black Star frowned, grabbed Tsubaki's arm, and ran her out the door.

"I don't_care_if your family sucks," he shouted, "I don't_care_if my dad hates you."

Black Star stopped in front of the court house, perspiration sliding down his tan forehead, his dyed blue hair hanging in front of his eyes.

"You," he gasped, turning Tsubaki towards him, hands on her shoulders, "Are my friend. You acknowledge me. You enjoy me, you like hanging out with me. You think I'm cool, and you think I can become head of the family. I won't let someone like you run away from me, 'kay? I know it kinda sounds creepy, but it's true.''

"Black Star," Tsubaki sighed, "I'm not sure..."

"Don't care," Black Star shook his head, "You and me are gonna be friends. We can talk at school, and I can visit your house, 'kay?"

Tsubaki smiled her warm smile.

"Alright," she said apprehensively, "I guess we could make it work."

"Yahoo!" Black Star cheered, pumping his fist in the air, "This is gonna be great!" Black Star grabbed Tsubaki's arm, and ran down the street.

"Black Star, slow down!" she cried, "Where are we going?"

Black Star looked back, a grin on his face.

"You like ice cream?" he asked, jay walking around passing cars. Tsubaki paled as a passing car nearly hit her. Black Star slowed down in front of the ice cream shop, and entered it with Tsubaki. They quickly ordered a chocolate sundae, and sat down. As Black Star feverishly ate the whip cream, Tsubaki smiled.

"Black Star," she said, "If you wanna hang out, we can talk in the park tomorrow."

Black Star grinned, whipped cream dropping from his chin.

"Cool, see ya tomorrow," he said, smiling. Tsubaki gulped down a spoon of ice cream.

"Yeah," she said, a tinge of sadness overlooking her eyes, "See ya tomorrow."


	3. Chapter 3: Deal

Chapter 3: Deal

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Review!

"This is your room," Medusa said, gesturing to an experimental lab. A mattress lay next to an experimental table that had straps placed all over it, and several beakers and fluids were scattered over metal tables and sinks. Mifune glared at Medusa.

"What are you trying to pull?" he growled, "I thought I'm just supposed to kill some guys for you and that's it."

Medusa smirked.

"I did," she smiled, "But I also want to perform some experiments on you."

Mifune shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh...what do you mean by 'experiments?'"

Medusa shook her head.

"I'm not going to sexually assault you," she cooed, "I only want to test out my magic."

"That only makes it sound creepier."

Medusa frowned, and walked towards one of the beakers. She picked one up, a red liquid inside it, and showed it to Mifune.

"This," she said, walking towards Mifune, "Is a potion that is common amongst Spell witches. However, it is exceptionally hard to create amongst Fighting witches."

"Excuse me?" Mifune asked in confusion. Medusa sighed.

"There are two types of witches. One, the Fighting witches, excel in combat spells. The other, the Spell witches, are witches who are better at potions and illusions that can be deadly when given to the enemy. The Spell witches are our enemies. My sister, Arachne, is their leader. I want you to drink this potion, so I can obtain the skill of both a Combat witch and a Spell witch."

"Talk about sisterly love," Mifune said skeptically. Medusa pointed towards the metallic experimental table.

"That is where I will perform most of my experiments, okay? I want you to be one of my experimental subjects. If you don't, I will kill both you and Angela. Understand?"

"The hell?" Mifune growled, reaching into his pocket, "I won't let that happen."

Mifune reached into his pocket, but found nothing, not even a knife.

"I took those off of you when you walked in," Medusa said, "And I won't give them back unless you become my experiment."

Mifune sighed, defeated.

"Fine," he choked hoarsely, "I'll do it."

Medusa smiled, took Mifune's hand, and walked towards the metallic table.

"Lie down here," Medusa ordered, "And I'll tie the leather straps."

Mifune nodded, and lied across the table as Medusa pulled the straps across his arms, legs, and torso.

"So you won't run away in pain," Medusa murmured to herself.

"What?" Mifune asked in shock, "What about pain?"

Medusa shook her head as she placed a needle inside the beaker, drawing the liquid into the needle. Medusa injected the needle into Mifune's forearm, pushing his sleeve up as the liquid entered his blood stream.

"There shouldn't be much pain," she whispered, "Just a little bit."

Mifune calmed down.

"Oh," he said, "I guess you're right. It only hurts a bit in my wrist. Only a bit-"

Mifune gasped as pain flooded from his forearm. He began screaming as Medusa grinned.

"Lovely," she piped up, a grin across her face, "Absolutely lovely."

Mifune clenched his fists, his nails digging into his hands. Blood dripped onto the metal table. Mifune tried to speak through his dry mouth.

"Muh-muh- Medusa..." he groaned, perspiration wetting through his shirt, "What are...yuh-you duh-duh-doing to me?"

Medusa walked over to the beakers, and took hold of a beaker with blue fluid inside it. She placed the needle inside the fluid, drawing the blue liquid. She jogged over to Mifune.

"I better hurry before you have a heart attack," she said nonchalantly as she injected the fluid into Mifune's forearm. Mifune relaxed, his muscles no longer tense.

"You're...evil," he choked, "You're...a horrible, evil, person."

Medusa smiled her malicious smile.

"I know," she said, walking back to the beakers after she unstrapped the table's leather straps. Mifune breathed heavily as he rolled over the table to land on the mattress. Medusa looked over from the beaker table.

"Where's Angela?" Mifune asked weakly, pulling the mattress blanket over him. Medusa kept to her work.

"Mizune and Eruka are taking care of her." she said, putting down the beaker. Mifune gulped.

"Could you tell her I'm gonna go to bed early?" Mifune breathed.

Medusa walked towards the door. She smirked.

"But she could think you're hurt," she remarked, "What if she runs in here because she's scared?"

Mifune gritted his teeth in pain.

"Yeah," he murmured, "I guess I should just tell her to go myself. But...could you please give her a separate room...so she doesn't see me like this?"

Medusa nodded.

"Sure," she said, shutting the door behind her. Mifune closed his eyes, breathing heavily. A few moments later, the door opened up, and Angela ran through. She jumped onto the mattress, hugging Mifune.

"Hey, Mifune," she grinned, "What're ya doing?"

Mifune pulled away from Angela, and rolled over to face her.

"Sleeping," he said, smiling weakly.

"You don't look so good, Mifune," Angela said in concern, "You're all white and sweaty."

Mifune realized it, too. His fingers were a sickly white, and perspiration was seeping through his shirt. He swallowed his saliva, trying to make his dry mouth have more moisture.

"I was just exercising," he said, "A lot."

Angela frowned, and sat on her knees.

"Exercising looks lame."

Mifune smiled at Angela's comment.

"I need to tell you something," he said, "Something important."

"What?" Angela asked.

Mifune bit his lip.

"I need you to sleep in another room, 'kay?"

Angela's face turned dreadful.

"But I don't wanna be alone. You're always with me so monsters don't come."

"They won't come, Angela," he said, "Monsters won't hurt you. No one will. I just need to be alone at night, all right? I have lots of work to do, and I don't want to keep you up all night."

Angela blinked.

"Can I sleep and then have you with me when you come back?"

Mifune shook his head.

"Sometimes," he said painfully, "We all have to grow up in little ways. Sleeping alone is one of those ways."

"But I don't wanna grow up!" Angela cried, pounding her fists against the mattress. The metal table shook, its bolts loosening. Mifune kept calm.

"Listen," he said calmly, reaching into his pockets, "I'll give you something if you sleep alone."

"What?" Angela pouted.

Mifune pulled out three wrapped candies.

"Here," he said, his eyelids falling, "I'll give you these if you sleep alone every night."

"Will I get a candy every night?" Angela crossed her arms.

Mifune smiled weakly.

"You're pulling my leg," he said, "But I think I can manage that."

Angela grinned, and hugged Mifune.

"Okay," she said sweetly, "I'll do that." She took the candies, and ran out the door. Mifune rolled on his back, and turned his head. A cabinet lay beside him, its doors hanging open. A row of books were stacked, their spines facing inward, all away from the doors, except for one that was hanging open over the shelf. Mifune squinted to read it. It read:_Red Snowflake: The Witch Bible._

_Witch Bible?_Mifune thought to himself, closing his eyes,_w__hat a strange name._

AUTHOR'S NOTES: PLEASE REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4: School Secrets

Chapter Four:School Secrets

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Review!

_I was just walking down the side walk, looking for someone's wallet to take. Yeah, I guess I was pretty mean then. There wasn't anyone on the sidewalk, just this freaky looking kid with blue hair. We were at school, then. Gotham University, the place I needed a scholarship to go to. Anyways, he was just sitting down on the stone steps that led to one of the school buildings. He was smoking a cigarette, a bored expression on his face, his emerald eyes piercing through the snow that gently fell throughout Gotham. I walked up to him, my back pack hanging over my arm._

_"What're you doing down there?" I said, trying to be nice. The boy looked up at me, his cigarette bitten to the nub._

_"Wha?" he asked, a confused expression on his face, "What's up?"_

_"I asked," I said, annoyed, "What're you doing here?"_

_The boy grinned._

_"I'm trying to concentrate so I can become a God and take over my family's business."_

_"You believe...concentrating will help you?" I asked skeptically._

_The blue haired boy grinned, his hair sticking up._

_"Yeah," he said, "I'm trying to get stronger mentally. That way, I can be the best fighter and boss out there."_

_I raised an eyebrow._

_"Boss? You mean...like a mafia boss?"_

_The boy gulped, jumping up._

_"Don't tell anyone, 'kay?" he asked, "I accidently told ya a bit too much."_

_I sighed, my eyes looking for his wallet._

_"Don't tell me you're gonna kill me," I sighed._

_The kid shook his head._

_"No way," he said, "That would be too cruel. I ain't my dad."_

_I found his wallet. It was a kunai shaped wallet that was strapped to his belt by a key chain._

_"What's that?" I asked, pointing to his wallet._

_The boy looked at his wallet, and unlocked the key chain._

_"This?" he asked._

_I nodded my head._

_"Oh," the boy said in pride, "This is my awesome wallet. Ya like it?"_

_"It's cool," I said cheerily, a fake smile on my face. The boy grinned._

_"Finally someone likes my cool wallet! Ya wanna hang out?"_

_I raised an eyebrow. What was up with this guy?_

_"Um, sure," I said warily. The boy grinned, and stuck out his hand._

_"I'm Black Star," he smiled, "Your name is...?"_

_"Tsubaki," I said, shaking Black Star's hand. He grabbed my hand, and began running pulling me with him._

_"I wanna show ya somethin'," he said, "Somethin' really precious to me."_

_"Why?" I asked. He turned his head, facing me as he ran._

_"'Cause ya took your time to notice me."_

_I frowned. I should've found someone else's wallet. Black Star stopped in front of the school gates, let go of my hand, and crouched down at the base of the gate. He brushed away at the dusty, snowy ground. A small wooden box appeared from the beige dust._

_"What's that?" I asked, crouching next to him. Black Star opened the lid of the box. A jumble of hand written letters were scattered in the box. Black Star reached through the papers, and grabbed a ruby necklace. A white "B" was sealed inside the ruby, and white diamonds made up the neck chain._

_"This was my mom's necklace," he said in awe, "She gave it to me a long time ago."_

_"Th-that's beautiful!" I cried, "How'd your mom get that?"_

_Black Star kept his face still._

_"She gave it to me before she died," he said sadly, "We were having dinner for her birthday. I remember...the waiters were lighting the tiny candles on her birthday cake. I was sitting in a chair, my Ma across me, trying to blow out the candles. Then...I heard all this shooting, and my Ma jumped under the seat, pullin' me with her. I was really scared...but my Ma wasn't. She was brave and all. And then...when we thought the shooting stopped, my Ma came out from under the table, thinkin' it was safe. She was wrong, and got shot by some guy that had makeup all over his face. I think it was Joker, I don't remember. He was all smilin' lookin' at my Ma dying from a bullet in her stomach. He saw me, too, and almost shot me until the Bat Bastard showed up."_

_"Why do you call him that?" I asked._

_Black Star bit his lip._

_"'Cause...he didn't come in time. He came in time to help me, but not in time to help my Ma. He was so obsessed with fightin' Joker, he didn't have time to help my Ma with her wounds. That's messed up, ya know? When Batman left, I was the only one left in the restaurant. My Ma was alive enough to gimme her necklace. You know what she said to me before she died?"_

_"What?" I asked shakily._

_Black Star smirked._

_"She said that I should have her necklace so I can remember her. She said the worst thing on Earth was to be forgotten. To have no one remember you. She said Dad would forget me after a while. That her family would forget her. But...she told me that I of all people can't forget. That she's gonna make sure I don't forget."_

_Black Star looked at me._

_"Kind of messed up, huh?" he said, "But kind of heartfelt, too."_

_I gulped, not wanting to steal his wallet anymore._

_"Why're you showing me this?" I asked shakily. Black Star eyed the necklace._

_"Because...no one's noticed me except my Ma. Everyone thought I went crazy after Ma died, and never talked to me. But...you went up to me. Some people have come up to me, trying to be my friend so that they could ally themselves with my dad. They all ran away when I showed them my Ma's necklace, sayin' I was too 'emo.'"_

_"That's horrible," I said in pity. Black Star smiled._

_"Not really," he grinned, "But...could you be my friend? At least for a while?"_

_I clenched my fists. I was supposed to take this kid's wallet, not start liking him!_

_"Sure," I said, a smile across my face, "I'll hang out with you."_

_Black Star grinned, jumping up._

_"Yeah!" he yelled, "Finally! An awesome friend."_

_I smiled, standing up with him. I brushed the dirt off of my cloth dress. Black Star blushed, taking my hand._

_"Could I tell ya something?" he asked, walking down the gate with me._

_"What?" I asked. Black Star's face turned red._

_"You're pretty sexy," he said out loud. I blushed, a frown on my face._

_"What?!" I cried, "Why'd you say that?" I was breathing heavily, embarrassment seeping through me. Black Star stopped in front of a bare cherry blossom tree._

_"I'm only being truthful," he blushed, scratching his star shaped hair, "You're pretty cute. I'd be lyin' if I said you were just an average chick."_

_I sighed, realizing that my new "friend" was probably crazy._

_"Okay," I gulped, "I guess I can trust that you won't lie to me."_

_"Yup," Black Star grinned, giving me a thumbs up, "I'll never lie to ya, Tsunami."_

_"My name's Tsubaki," I said shyly. Black Star frowned._

_"Whoops," he said, "Sorry 'bout that. Lemme start that sentence again. 'I'll never lie to ya, Tsubaki.'"_

_I smiled, brushing my feet against the snowy ground._

_"Thanks," I said, "I...like honest people." Why was I being so shy around him? Why hadn't I already taken his wallet? The school bell rang._

_"Whoop, gotta go," Black Star said, giving me a wink, "See ya after school."_

_"Yeah..." I said, mesmerized as Black Star walked away. I felt a strange feeling inside me, a feeling of attachment. I gulped, realizing that I also had my first real friend._

"Ya look great today," Black Star complimented Tsubaki as she walked through the trimmed grass of Gotham Park.

"Thanks," she said shyly. She gave Black Star a small parcel. He took it, and examined it.

"Thanks, Tsubaki," he said, tearing off the brown paper. Inside the parcel, a bundle of white flowers with magenta spots near the pollen lay wrapped in blue tissue paper.

"They're Moon Flowers," Tsubaki explained, "They only grow when there isn't any light and it's really cold. They wilt fast in light, but they can be really pretty."

Black Star smiled.

"Thanks Tsubaki!" he grinned, "Awesome flowers for an awesome guy!"

Tsubaki smiled.

"Oh, thanks."

"C'mon," Black Star said, gesturing to the trails that encircled the park, "Let's walk around."

"Okay," Tsubaki agreed, following Black Star down the dirt trails. Snow fell down, covering them.

"This sucks," Black Star moaned, noticing that snow covered the majority of the trails. He looked around, checking if anyone was around. No one was in the park.

"Black Star," Tsubaki said hesitantly, "You don't have to do that..."

"It's fine," Black Star said, placing the flowers on the ground. He held his hands up, and closed his eyes. A small bit of electricity sparked around his hands and arms. The electric sparks grew in intensity as Black Star pointed his hands toward the snow.

"Black Star...wait!" Tsubaki said as Black Star slammed his hands over the dirt trail.

"I've been workin' on this, it'll be fine! YAHOO!" Black Star yelled as electricity spread across the snow. The snow melted as Black Star grabbed the flowers that lay on the ground. The dirt trail was cleared, but bits of grass were burnt.

"That's dangerous, Black Star," Tsubaki moaned, walking next to Black Star.

"But I cleared the trail, right?"

Tsubaki sighed.

"Yeah, I guess so," Tsubaki brushed off a bit of dust from her shoulder, but felt a small electric shock.

"Eep!" she cried, side stepping away from Black Star.

"You okay?" Black Star asked nonchalantly. Tsubaki looked at her shoulder, which had a tiny, dime sized mark across it. Tsubaki pulled her jacket over herself.

"Yeah," she replied, "I'm okay."

"Cool," Black Star said, walking down the trail as Tsubaki followed. The ground was barren across and around the dirt trail. A white magnolia branched out from the snow, and bits of grass lay scattered around the park. Black Star pulled up his sky blue scarf, his mittens rubbing his face.

"Are you cold, Black Star?" Tsubaki asked, concerned.

"Nah," Black Star replied, "I'm just interested in the flowers and stuff. If I'm gonna be the best assassin and Boss out there, I gotta know nature, right? I mean, assassins need to know their environment."

"How about a pop quiz? To test your skills." Tsubaki smiled shyly.

Black Star stopped, and turned to her.

"Ask me a question, and I'll know the answer," he said cockily. Tsubaki pointed to the magnolia.

"What is that?" she asked. Black Star frowned.

"That's, uh, a sunflower?"

Tsubaki sighed. Her friend wasn't exactly intelligent in front of a crowd.

"No," she said, "That's a magnolia."

"I knew that!" Black Star laughed, "I was just so smart that I wanted to see if you knew what it was. I was so awesome, in fact, that I already knew the answer before you asked me. I was just, uh, testing you."

Tsubaki smiled even though what Black Star said made no sense at all.

"Maybe we should study a bit more," she said, "That way you can tell what I'm gonna ask before I even come here."

"It's fine," Black Star shook his head, "I'm smart enough."

Tsubaki smiled her weak smile.

_"She is such a slut."_

_"Tell me about it. She's probably gonna give that retard sex favors."_

_"No, she'll probably just do it with his dad. That'd make more sense."_

Tsubaki bit her lip. A group of girls standing about fifty feet away were gossiping and criticizing her and Black Star. Tsubaki knew they were staring at her, especially. They hated her, even though they were the rich brats and she was just a scholarship student. The girl in the middle, with her short cut blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, and dark, sun tanned skin, she was considered the prettiest girl on campus. Her nickname was Thunder, probably because she only wore bright yellow. Her brother, nicknamed Fire because he wore bright red and orange, was also a prized gem amongst the teenagers in Gotham University. He was probably with his girlfriend at the moment.

The girl on the right side was Kim Diehl. She had dyed her hair bright pink so that it could match her emerald green eyes. She was rather pale under the gentle snow, and her pale green jacket seemed to glow. She was probably the kindest in the group, even though she was extremely miserly and rude. She was only truly nice to her friend Jacqueline O. Dupre, who was probably at home due to her chronic lung problems.

The girl on the left side was Tsugumi Harudori, a Japanese exchange student who just happened to get caught up in Kim and Thunder's pace. She had bright blue eyes, and put her black hair up in pig tails. She wore black leggings, a black skirt, and a black, long sleeved top. Her favorite color seemed to be black, according to the student body.

_"Look at her nasty dress, she probably hasn't washed it in two weeks. She wears it every day."_

_"What about that Joseph guy?"_

_"You mean the amazing 'Black Star?'"_

_"You think he's amazing?"_

_"I was being sarcastic, idiot. Those two are the Slut and Retard tag team."_

_"One's gonna get raped, and it's not the blue haired guy."_

_"Ha, that's a good one."_

Tsubaki gulped._They're all the same,_she thought,_They're all the same._

"Want some ice cream?" Black Star asked, not noticing the band of girls. Tsubaki raised an eyebrow.

"But...it's snowing, Black Star. You could catch a cold."

Black Star shrugged.

"I can miss a couple days of school." He gave Tsubaki his trademark thumbs up. "But I'm so awesome that I won't even catch a cold! But the teacher's will give me a day off anyways, because my awesomeness is too overwhelming for them."

"Well, I don't have super cells, Black Star," Tsubaki sighed, "I can't have ice cream in this weather."

"Fine," Black Star frowned, "We'll just hang out here."

Tsubaki looked at her watch, and gasped.

"I have to go," she said, "My mom and dad will be home soon."

Black Star's face had a sad expression across it.

"Okay," he sighed, "See ya tomorrow?"

"See ya tomorrow," Tsubaki agreed, running out of the park. The band of girls followed her. Tsubaki jay walked across the street, and turned into an alley way. It seemed no one was watching her. She took a deep hand, and clasped her hands together.

"Shuriken," she said to herself. Her body immediately turned into a shuriken as she fell to the ground. A few moments later, she turned back into her original body. A sense of relief fell over her._At least I did it sooner than later,_she thought.

"What the hell is up with you?" a girl shrieked. Tsubaki turned to see Thunder, Kim, and Tsugumi.

"Did you just turn into some knife or something?" Thunder grinned, "You're obviously some kind of freak!"

"Ugly slut's a freak~" Kim chimed.

"Yeah," Tsugumi agreed blindly.

"You are the girls who insulted Black Star," Tsubaki said in monotone.

"Now the girl's a robot," Thunder joked, "And her retarded friend still hangs out with her."

"Yeah," Tsugumi chimed.

"Shut up, Tsugumi," Kim and Thunder ordered.

"Yeah," Tsugumi added before being quiet. Tsubaki smirked, and clasped her hands together.

"Chain Scythe," she said. Her long pony tail shined, and then lengthened into a chain scythe. She grabbed the sharpened end. The group of girls gulped except for Kim. Thunder backed away.

"What are you doing-" Thunder was cut off by Tsubaki pulling her with her chain scythe. Thunder was wrapped by the chain, and fell down.

"Funny," Tsugumi smiled, running away from the scene. Kim glared at Tsubaki as she tightened her grip on Thunder. The chain was locked over Thunder's neck and was slowly tightening. Thunder's face was turning a shade of purple.

"Do you enjoy the pain?" Tsubaki asked. Thunder remained silent as Tsubaki tightened her chain.

"Tell me, how does it feel to be scared and depressed?" Tsubaki smirked as Thunder went limp. Kim shifted uncomfortably. Tsubaki's chain scythe disappeared as Kim bit her lip.

"Why'd you do that?" Kim asked. Tsubaki stared at Kim.

"She insulted Black Star. I won't allow that."

Kim lit a cigarette.

"Don't you think you went a little far?"

"I never go too far. Going too far would be you telling someone about this."

"I won't tell," Kim said, chewing on her cigarette, "After all, you've kept my secret after all these years."

"Uh-huh. And that's why you won't tell anyone about this. So I don't tell the student body about your secret."

Kim blew away some smoke.

"Whatever," she sighed, "See ya at school tomorrow."

"Bye," Tsubaki agreed as Kim walked home. She turned towards her house, and left Thunder's body in the alley way.

Mifune rolled over from the mattress. The lab was dimly lit, the metal tables giving a dull shine. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he reasoned it must have passed noon. He sat up, and looked around. The room was eerily silent and empty. Mifune stood up from the mattress, and turned around to notice his coat was laid across the mattress. He picked it up, and pulled it over his shoulders. He walked over to the metal door that separated his room from the rest of the warehouse. Just as he was about to turn the metal door knob, he heard a voice call out.

"Don't go," it whimpered. Mifune turned to see a teen strapped to another metal table. The teen had short, poorly cut, lavender hair, and ocean blue eyes that had bags under them. The teen was dressed in a black dress with a white neck collar and shiny black buttons.

"Who are you?" Mifune said, a cold chill going down his spine. He walked towards the teenager.

"I'm Crona," the teen said, a sickly pale color over his skin, "I've been the only one here for a while."

Mifune began unstrapping the leather straps.

"It's been lonely?" Mifune asked. Crona nodded.

"Yeah," the teen answered, "Mother's been keeping me in here for eleven or twelve years, I don't really remember."

"How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

Mifune unstrapped the last strap.

"That's horrible. Who's your mom?"

Crona sat up. Mifune was trying to figure out whether Crona was a boy or girl when the young teen spoke up.

"Her name's Medusa," Crona replied, "And she's experimented on me here. She made my blood black."

Mifune bit his lip. His employer was a child abuser.

"What's black blood?" he asked. Crona smiled meekly. The young teen stuck his/her fingernails inside his/her neck. A black liquid oozed out of Crona's neck, then stiffened into spikes.

"Black blood was what happened when Mother put a spirit inside me. She told me I can control my blood any way I like."

"And I thought witches had crazy powers..." Mifune said in awe. Crona stood up from the metal table.

"What time is it?" Crona asked. Mifune shrugged.

"Not sure. Wanna follow me out to get some food?"

Crona nodded and said, "Yeah, I'm really hungry."

Mifune walked back towards the door, Crona on his heels. Mifune turned the knob, and exited the lab. Outside, in the ware house, Angela and the rest of Medusa's friends were eating lunch. Medusa was sitting at the head of a wooden table, chewing on a piece of bacon. She glanced at Mifune and Crona.

"Hello Mifune," she said kindly, "Breakfast is in the kitchen." She pointed to her side, where a small counter, oven, and dish washer were. Mifune nodded, and walked over to where breakfast was. Medusa glared at Crona.

"You can make something, can't you?" she growled. Crona stiffened, holding his/her arm.

"Right," Crona murmured, "I can do that."

Mifune took the one plate of eggs and bacon, and looked over at Crona. He/she was shifting uncomfortably, eyes facing the ground. Medusa ignored her child, along with the rest of her group. Angela was fast asleep on the wooden table, her bacon barely eaten. Mifune sighed, and walked over to Crona. He handed Crona his plate.

"Here," he said, "I'm not hungry."

Crona looked up, holding the plate of food.

"Why'd you do that?" he/she murmured. Mifune shrugged.

"I'll see you in the lab, Medusa," he said aloud. Medusa shook her head.

"Very well," she sighed, "Be that way."

Mifune went back to the lab, and flopped onto his mattress. A thought sparked inside him._I need to get my swords,_he thought, slightly annoyed. A few moments later, Medusa stepped into the lab. She stood in front of Mifune as he lay on the mattress. She was holding an apple. Mifune sat up.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked. Medusa bit the back of her lip, a calm demeanor about her. She tossed the apple to Mifune, who quickly caught it.

"I need you to eat," she said, "Or you won't be able to kill much, now will you?"

Mifune took a bite out of the apple, and nodded his head.

"I see your point."

Medusa smiled, and walked over to one of the tables. She pulled a drawer open, and took out a beaker and syringe. Then, she pulled out a purple liquid that was incased in a glass jar. She poured the liquid into the beaker and syringe. She walked back to Mifune, and gestured to the metal table.

"You're going to have to sit here," she ordered, "So you don't run away."

Mifune closed his eyes.

"How much will this hurt?" he asked. Medusa blinked.

"I suppose...quite a bit," she shrugged, "It will hurt more than last time."

"Just give it to me now," he said, "Strapping me down'll do me no good. I'll just freak out and probably have some heart attack. If I'm going to be in pain..." Mifune glared at Medusa, "Then I'll do it standing up, not lying down like a wimp."

Medusa shook her head and walked up to Mifune as he stood up.

"Give me your arm, please," she said, "And I'll have you know, standing up makes it hurt more."

"Then I'll take it like a man," Mifune said as he pulled his sleeve up. Medusa pushed the needle into his skin.

"Foolish 'manly' values," Medusa laughed, stepping back. Mifune looked back at his forearm, expecting something to happen.

"Will this happen anytime soon?"

Medusa shrugged.

"I'm guessing in three...two...one...?" Medusa looked back at Mifune. He gulped, clutching his arm. Medusa looked at Mifune, trying to tell if there were tears across his face or perspiration sliding down his cheeks. He was taking deep, shaky breaths. His hand was pressed against the tiled walls of the lab. His face twisted in pain as blood dripped from his mouth. Medusa went to a cabinet and pulled out a chair and notebook. She sat down, and watched as Mifune fell to the ground. Medusa scribbled a few notes down in her notebook.

"Tell me," she started, "How does it feel? From a scale of one to ten, what would you rate your pain?"

Mifune coughed up a bit of blood.

"You're evil," he choked. Medusa frowned.

"I know that," she growled, "Just tell me how much it hurts."

"A...lot," he gasped, "It hurts...like crazy. A twenty, it's a twenty!"

Medusa smirked as she wrote down a few notes.

"Lovely," she smiled, "Now, would this be something you'd do again?"

Mifune gritted his teeth in pain.

"Do...I look like a masochist?!"

"Guess you wouldn't," Medusa sighed as she scratched down a few more notes. Mifune dropped to the ground, holding his knees to his chest. His nails dug into his jeans.

"Do you...have that serum?" he choked. Medusa shook her head.

"Nope," she sighed, "I wanted to see what would happen to you if I didn't give you the serum. So, how do you feel?"

"F*ck you!" Mifune shouted. Medusa raised her eyebrows.

"F*ck...you...," she said to herself as she scribbled down her notes. Mifune clenched his jeans, rocking back and forth.

"Mom...mom," he kept saying to himself. Medusa wrote a few notes down, and then crossed her legs.

"So, you think of your mother when you're in distress, hmm? Did she love you?"

"She's dead," Mifune whimpered, biting bits of his lip off. He began shaking uncontrollably.

"Does it hurt less now?" Medusa asked. Mifune nodded. He leaned over, his face a pale green. Medusa turned to the cabinet, and reached for a bucket. She pushed it in front of Mifune as he vomited inside it. After a few minutes, he wiped his face with his shirt, and fell on his back. Medusa grabbed the bucket, and emptied its contents into a metallic sink. She turned on the faucet, and left the bucket inside the sink. She walked over to Mifune, and kneeled in front of him.

"Would you like me to get your things from your apartment and store?" she asked, with a cruel smile across her face. Mifune nodded.

"Yeah," he whispered weakly. Medusa stood up, and turned to the door.

"I should be back in twenty minutes," Medusa said quietly. She turned the door knob, and pushed the door open. Mifune gulped when he heard the door closed. He relaxed his shoulders, and took a deep breath._I hate her so much,_he thought,_One day...I will kill her, and she will regret the day she met my damned soul._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

AUTHOR'S NOTES: REVIEW! Please?

"There have been a ton of stabbings lately," M'Gann said to Connor as they watched television.

"Yeah," Connor sighed, "A lot around Gotham."

M'Gann nodded, her arms crossed. She bit the tip of her lip.

"But there's one thing distinct about them," she said, concerned. Connor raised his eyebrows.

"What's that?"

"There's a stabbing in the back, and then a strangulation around the throat."

Connor shrugged.

"I guess that's...scary," Connor started, "But it's probably some serial killer."

M'Gann shook her head.

"No..." she murmured, "The wounds Batman told us about remind me of someone at my school."

"Who?"

M'Gann's face twisted in thought.

"This girl...I think she was super powered or something. She's a friend of a mafia kid."

"Tsubaki?"

"You know her?"

"She's in my class. I didn't know she was super powered."

"Me neither, until I met her one time and she showed me what she could do."

"What can she do?"

"She can turn parts of herself into a weapon."

"How'd you find out?"

M'Gann's face turned to gloom.

"I was walking around past her house one time...when I saw her crying on her door steps. When I asked what was wrong, she turned her hair into some sort of chain scythe. She told me her parents had found out, and kicked her out for the night."

"What did you do?"

M'Gann pulled her knees to her chest, humility across her face.

"I just apologized and said I had to go somewhere. I didn't know how to handle the situation, so I ran away from it. I've felt horrible about it for six months."

"Why do you think she killed people?"

"Because," M'Gann began, "Every person murdered were enemies of either her or that mafia kid."

"Joseph."

"Yeah, Joseph."

"Let's tell Batman."

M'Gann nodded, and stood up.

"Let's go and tell him."

Connor followed M'Gann out of the living room and into Young Justice's main headquarters. Batman was sparring with Robin. He was able to kick Robin to the ground by hitting him in the abdomen. Robin fell hard, slamming against the ground.

_"Winner:Batman." _The Mt. Justice computer declared. Robin groaned.

"Get up," Batman demanded, "You need to be able to take a hit as much as you can give a hit."

"You got me up at twelve in the morning," Robin moaned, standing up. Batman glared at Robin.

"It doesn't matter. Danger can appear at any time, even the early morning hours. A fight can also last as long as possible, depending on the skill of the person you've been fighting."

"No fight lasts for ten hours."

Connor glanced at his watch. It was ten o'clock. He looked up at Robin, who had perspiration sliding down his face. Connor looked over to Batman, who seemed perfectly fine. Batman spoke up.

"I gave you an hour break."

"Three hours ago."

Batman sighed.

"Very well," he said, "You can go get some water. We're done for the day."

Robin smiled, and staggered off. M'Gann and Connor walked towards Batman, who was checking areas of crime on the hologram computer screen.

"Computer," he said, "Show me if there are any escapees from Arkham Asylum."

Connor tapped Batman on the shoulder. Batman turned, a scowl on his face.

"Yes?" he asked, sounding annoyed. M'Gann stepped forward.

"We think we know who's been stabbing people in Gotham," she said.

Batman raised his eyebrows, but turned back to the computer.

"Tell me where this person lives, if you know them. Tell me their name, too."

"Um," M'Gann started, "Her name's Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. She lives on Eighth Street. In the, um, apartment complex."

"RoseHill Estates." Batman corrected.

"Yeah."

Batman tapped a few spots on the touch screen, revealing a map of the apartment complex, and a picture of Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. She was smiling, her bright blue eyes shining, and her ebony black hair placed in a ponytail. She was wearing a pale yellow dress with a star across the chest where the picture cut off. It was her school picture, obviously.

"Tsubaki Nakatsukasa," Batman began, "A fifteen year old ninth grader who attends Gotham University on a scholarship. She currently resides with her mother and father. Her brother has been transferred to Bell Rev High Security Prison. She currently has no criminal record."

Batman turned, a grave expression on his face.

"She also has superpowers," M'Gann added.

"I know," Batman said, "And I've been trying to find a way to combat her abilities."

"Why?" Connor asked.

"Because," Batman began, "She is extremely powerful, mainly because she can handle her powers particularly well. If she has been stabbing citizens, we need to stop her as soon as possible. Why do you think she is killing people?"

"Well," M'Gann began, "Every person killed was someone she hated. The wounds on the corpses also showed signs of strangulation and stab wounds on the back. A chain scythe could make those type of wounds, with the blade being pushed into the back from the chain that wrapped around the body."

"How did you get this evidence?"

M'Gann shifted uncomfortably.

"I...um, happened to come across Justice League files in the Mt. Justice computer."

Batman frowned.

"Computer," he started, "Transfer all files to Justice League headquarters."

_"Yes, Batman...Files have been sent." _

"Now, please delete all files in your data base."

_"Warning:Deleted files cannot be recovered."_

"Do it," Batman demanded as M'Gann and Connor stood gaping.

_"Yes, Batman...Files deleted."_

"Thank you." Batman glared at M'Gann and Connor. "Now," he began, "You will _never _hack into the Mt. Justice files without my permission."

"But we were only trying to-" M'Gann started before being cut off.

"I don't care," Batman scolded, "I had files in there that were of grave importance. However, your actions have proved to me that I cannot trust you with these files."

"Sorry," M'Gann and Connor apologized. Batman touched a few more buttons, making the screen show a picture of Black Star and Tsubaki sitting on a park bench.

"I'm going to signal to the rest of the team that there is a new mission," Batman said, "We need to find these two teenagers."

"Why do we need to worry about Joseph?" M'Gann asked. Batman paid attention to the screen as he quickly typed out a signal.

"I've been monitoring the Mafia's actions, waiting for something to slip...Joseph...I believe...will snap very soon. Psychologically, that is."

"Why?"

"Because..." Batman started, waiting for the signal to be sent, "He doesn't get enough attention from his father in his mind. He wants to do something big to get his father's attention. From what I've learned, he will be robbing the American Bank at two p.m today. After taking about two to three million dollars in cash, he will present it to his father, who he believes will take great pride in his work."

"That's...kinda stupid," Connor commented, "Why didn't he just do a drug related thing? Isn't that what his mafia specializes in?"

"No," Batman corrected, "They work in black market experimentation."

The signal was sent.

"Like...what type of experimentation?" Connor asked.

"Meta gene," Batman replied, "They usually work with nanites."

"Oh," Connor murmured, confused.

_"Meta genes are super powered bits of DNA," _M'Gann said to Connor telepathically, _"A lot of meta gene experiments have been happening lately."_

Connor nodded.

_"Thanks," _he thought, M'Gann smiling.

_"Member 00008 Kid Flash," _the computer announced as Kid Flash sped into the room.

"Hey, Wally," M'Gann and Connor said together.

"Hey, guys," Kid Flash grinned, "Got here a little slow. Sorry."

"It's fine," Batman said, "Just stay here until the others come."

"What's going on?" Kid Flash whispered to M'Gann and Connor, "He's insanely serious today."

"We're going on a new mission," M'Gann murmured as Batman stared at the hologram. Tsubaki was smiling her kind smile, as always. But, Batman had the lurking feeling that behind that smile laid a evil, killer beast.

But perhaps he was just overreacting again, like the rest of the Justice League had said before.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Review. Just...do it.


	6. Chapter 6: Target

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Review. Just...do it.

Chapter Six: Target

"I need to go, Black Star," Tsubaki said as she sat on Black Star's bed. Black Star was typing vigorously on his Mac.

"Don't worry," Black Star said, "My dad won't be here for a couple hours."

"I don't know Black Star..." Tsubaki said apprehensively. Black Star shrugged.

"It'll be_okay,"_he said, annoyed. Tsubaki sighed.

"What do you wanna show me?" she asked. Black Star grinned as he clicked the mouse. A Youtube video popped up as Black Star turned around in his swivel chair. Tsubaki stood up and walked over to the computer. The video showed Tsubaki with her hair turned into a chain scythe. Thunder was dead on the ground, her eyes glazed over.

"That was so fricken cool," Black Star grinned as the video came to a close. Tsubaki paled.

"Why did you do that, Black Star?" she screamed, "Why?"

Black Star stared at Tsubaki in confusion.

"'Cause it was cool," Black Star said, "You say my powers are cool."

"I don't put them up on Youtube!"

Black Star shrugged.

"It hasn't gotten many views anyways. I'll take it down, if ya want."

"Do it," Tsubaki ordered, "Now."

Black Star clicked the cursor a few times, and a page popped up.

_Your video has been deleted,_a Youtube page said. Black Star pointed to the page.

"See?" he said, "Everything's better now."

Tsubaki frowned.

"How many views did that get?" she asked.

"I don't know," Black Star said, "Maybe like, twenty or something."

Tsubaki sighed in relief.

"Okay, it's not that bad, but please don't do it again."

"Alright."

All was silent. Tsubaki spoke up.

"Black Star..." she started, "Why aren't you scared of me?"

Black Star looked up from his computer.

"I told you," he moaned, "You were fricken awesome. And anyways, my dad'll probably let you stay with me when he learns what you can do."

"Don't" tell him!" Tsubaki nearly shrieked, her hands pressed to her sides.

"Why not?" Black Star blinked in confusion.

Tsubaki bit her lip.

"Because..." she started, "What if he calls the police or something?"

Black Star shrugged, and stared back at his computer screen.

"Don't see why, the police already hate my dad. He won't call them."

Tsubaki sighed in defeat, realizing that talking to Black Star was like talking to a wall.

"Fine," she sighed, sitting down upon Black Star's bed. A knocking sound pounded against the door of Black Star's bedroom.

"Joseph," Black Star's father growled, "Who are you talking to?"

"Tsubaki, Dad," Black Star grumbled. Tsubaki kept her head low as White Star barged into the room. He grabbed Black Star's collar.

"Didn't I tell you to stay away from that little bi-"

"STOP IT!" Tsubaki screamed, holding her chain scythe that stretched from her hair. White Star turned his head, his white blonde hair hanging over his eyes. The chain scythe was directly in front of his neck.

"Hmm," he said, letting go of Black Star, "Perhaps she wasn't so useless after all..." White Star gave a smile.

"How would you like to have dinner here?" he said, a smile across his face.

"Where's Angela?" Mifune asked as he walked out of the lab, his hands in his pockets. Erika looked up from the wooden table, a deck of cards in her hands.

"She's with Mizune," she said, "They're practicing their magic."

"Where, though?" Mifune asked. The man in the prisoner's outfit looked up from another deck of cards, and blinked. Mifune noticed that one of his eyes had a triangle enclosed inside a circle. On his eyebrow was an inscription that read: No Future.

"She's in the front," the man said, pointing behind him to the entrance of the warehouse, "I'm Free, by the way."

Mifune nodded in acknowledgement, and walked over to the entrance of the warehouse. He pushed open the enormous wooden door and walked into the snowy air. Angela was sitting in front of Mizune as she read from a giant leather book.

"A charm," Mizune read, "Is a spell that can last for up to two hours. It is a rather powerful spell, but lasts shortly. An example of a charm could be a love spell."

"Are we gonna do charms Mizuna?" Angela asked. Mizune frowned.

"My name is Mizune," she growled, "And no, we are not learning charms. We are first going to learn incantations."

"What's that?" Angela sat cross legged, her knees bobbing up and down.

"An incantation is a spell that requires a chant to work," Mizune said, "If you don't perform the chant correctly, the spell could back fire on you."

Mifune sat down on the concrete ground, watching as Mizune and Angela practiced their spells.

"Let's start with making flowers," Mizune said annoyed.

"How do we do that?" Angela asked, sliding her foot against the icy ground.

"Repeat after me," Mizune said with a frown, "And we'll make the snow turn into a flower."

"Okay," Angela smiled as Mizune bent down in front of the snow.

_"Masura Corai,"_she began, "_Konoro kiri, septai makiza, mero palene~"_

"Matsuda Coca-cola," Angela said, trying to repeat Mizune, "Konoko kira, septic magica, nero plane~"

Mizune frowned as a purple lily appeared from her spell. However, Angela watched as the snow beneath her feet darkened into a blood red. She smiled.

"The snow looks so pretty," she said, "It's like roses with the red."

"You did it incorrectly," Mizune frowned, crossing her arms, "The spell goes like this:_Masura Corai, konoro kiri, septai makiza, mero palene."_

"What...?" Angela asked. Mizune sighed.

"Why not we start with something simpler?" she said, picking up the leather book from the snowy ground.

"How about..." Mizune said, flipping through the pages, "A curse?"

"What's a curse?" Angela asked.

"A curse is a spell that lasts forever," Mizune said, "They're fairly simple, only about a word or two, but can take a lot away from your magic power."

"I wanna do a curse!" Angela cried. Mizune nodded.

"Okay, let's do a curse that makes this flower wilt away," she said, pointing to the purple lily.

"How do I do that?" Angela asked. Mizune sighed.

"You say these words, okay? Here's the spell:_Lovas 'tis lilia."_

Angela looked down at the flower. She blinked, murmuring the curse.

"_Lovas 'tis lilia,"_she whispered, her breath visible throughout the snowflakes. The lily began wilting, its petals turning a dark brown. Its stem broke off, leaving the petals to die in the snow that turned a shade of blood red. Mizune had a worried demeanor about her.

"That's...very good, Angela," she said, "Why don't we try a different spell, hmm?"

"Okay," Angela agreed, "What is it?"

"Let's turn the snow white," Mizune muttered to herself as she flipped through the pages.

Mifune frowned at the scene. Why had the snow turned red when they were only making a flower wilt? He looked up, and nearly gasped as he saw Angela. Surrounding her was a flurry of red. The snow was falling gently around her, turning into shades of blood red.

"What is that?" Mifune muttered to himself, "Are those...red snowflakes?"

"That's her soul," Medusa said behind Mifune. He looked up to see her wearing her usual green parka.

"Her what?" Mifune asked. Medusa smiled.

"Those snowflakes are her soul," Medusa began, "The source of her power. I'm surprised that you can see them."

"Are witches only supposed to see them?" Mifune asked. Medusa shook her head.

"Everyone can see it," she said, "But only when a soul reaches its full strength. That happened a while back, when the government said it was some strange phenomenon."

"What happened?"

Medusa crossed her arms.

"My sister got out of control in the '70's," she said, "Making her soul form out to everyone. It took the form of a spider."

Mifune didn't bother asking more.

"That's too bad," he said as Medusa laughed.

"I couldn't care less," she said, "I really couldn't."

Mifune sighed as Angela tried to make the snow white, but to no avail. He closed his eyes, feeling the mid day snow touch his face.

"It's a nice day," Mifune said. Medusa shrugged.

"I guess so," she said, "If you enjoy the snow."

_"Snow always blossoms,_

_When a couple falls in love,_

_When sun shines, snow leaves,"_Mifune said to himself.

"Is that a haiku?" Medusa asked. Mifune nodded.

"My mother used to tell it to me. She used to talk about how she met my dad on a snowy day."

"Could you say another?" Medusa asked. Mifune shrugged.

"Sure," he said. He paused, and then began the haiku.

_"To protect one is_

_To save your own soul. Don't leave_

_The ones who are weak."_

"You just come up with that one?"

"Yeah," Mifune said, rubbing at his white long sleeved shirt.

"You ever heard of this poem? It goes like this:

_A spider kills the_

_Weak mouse. But the snake eats_

_The spider. Who's next?"_

"The chameleon eats the snake," Mifune said, "I read that Witch Bible. The chameleon blends into its surrounding, making the snake believe it has found food. But it's just the chameleon, who kills the snake out of hatred."

"Do you think you know who the chameleon is, Mifune?"

Mifune kept his eyes on Angela.

"It won't be her," he said, "She would never kill you."

"You never know," Medusa said, "Hatred's quite a motivator."

Mifune stood up, glaring at Medusa.

"Where're my swords?" he asked.

"Always wanting to change the subject," Medusa smirked, pointing to the warehouse. "They're in the kitchen. Get them quick. Tonight you'll be assassinating someone for me."

Mifune nodded, and pushed in the warehouse door. A flood of warmth embraced him as he walked into the kitchen. A wicker basket covered in yellow tape stood in front of him on the counter. The yellow tape read: CAUTION. Inside were hundreds of samurai swords. Mifune picked one up, feeling its weight.

"Feels about right," he said to himself, putting the sword back in the basket.

"When are you going out?" Erika asked, glancing from her hand of cards. Mifune shrugged.

"Not sure."

"Medusa's gonna make you do something you hate," Free said gravely, a dark expression across his face.

"She's already done that," Mifune said, walking over to the wooden table.

"She'll probably have you kill a kid," Erika said, "She's that cruel."

"Nah," Free said, "She's too tactile to do that. Did she already experiment on you?"

Mifune blinked.

"Yeah," he said, "Did she do that to you?"

Free and Erika nodded.

"She made me a werewolf," Free said.

"She wanted to do pain tests on me." Erika said, "To 'test her powers.'"

Mifune pulled a chair at the table.

"Medusa said we'll be robbing the West Union Bank next Wednesday." Erika commented, "She said we need to replenish our funds."

"What's the point of this group, anyway?" Mifune asked. Free put a card face down.

"One ace," he said, "And the point of the group is to maintain power amongst the witches."

"Basically," Erika said, placing another card face-down, "Medusa wants to control Gotham along with the rest of the East Coast so she can maintain a power balance amongst each of the Witch Boss families, with her at the top, of course."

"So she's power hungry," Mifune stated bluntly. Free shook his head.

"No," he said, "I think it's something different. I think she's rebelling against her mom, the head witch, Mabaa. Mabaa's been in control for over two hundred thousand years, and Medusa wants to change that."

"Why?" Mifune asked.

"B.S," Free said, ignoring Mifune. Erika sighed as she held the deck.

"Because," she said, "Mabaa dislikes humans. I mean, she_really_hates humans. So much so that she tells each witch to kill a human on sight unless told otherwise. But Medusa wants humans and witches to work together. Mabaa exiled her from the witch's group after Medusa said that."

"Why does she hate humans?" Mifune asked.

"Well," Erika said, glaring at Free, "A certain human took her eye."

Free shrugged.

"People said it was the secret to eternal youth. They were right. I'm happy."

Erika laid a card down.

"But now we have a Witch War on our hands because of your stupid mistake in the 1500's."

"Doesn't matter."

"You wouldn't have been turned into a werewolf had you not stolen her eye."

"True. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't like it."

The warehouse door opened. Mizune, Angela, and Medusa stepped in. Medusa strutted over to Mifune, and slid a slip of paper on the wooden table.

"That's your location and target for tonight," she said, just quiet enough so Angela didn't hear, "Don't mess up."

Mifune looked at the slip of paper. A picture of a man with white blonde hair was on the slip of paper, along with a street address. The man had dark blue eyes and a pale face. He seemed almost misplaced in the picture, with his family. A small boy was stretching to be seen in the picture, along with a woman with dark brunette hair.

"It's the guy, right?" Mifune asked. Medusa nodded as she walked into the lab. Mifune looked back at the paper. It read:

_Get there by 10 PM sharp. He'll be looking at the Gotham skyline from his office, which is a giant window. I expect you to attack him by jumping from a higher angle (perhaps a roof) and into the window. Or, you can just shoot him. Just make it quick._

_PS: If you don't__leave any evidence, I won't experiment on you for two weeks._

Mifune sighed, and glanced at his watch. Time had passed quickly, it was already seven o'clock. He got up, walked over to the kitchen, and picked up his wicker basket. He placed the slip of paper in his pocket.

"You going somewhere, Mifune?" Angela asked. Mifune nodded.

"I'm gonna pick up some snacks for Boss Medusa," he said, "You want me to get something for you?"

Angela nodded.

"Can I have ice cream?"

Mifune nodded as he pushed open the warehouse doors.

"Sure," he complied, and walked out into the snowy night.

Mifune held his breath as he sat on the roof of an abandoned apartment building. Across from him was the residence of the person he was ordered to kill. He glanced at his watch. It read:_9:58._He pushed his breath out, a smoky air coming out. He pulled the sides of his dark brown trench coat together, quickly buttoning the ends. He glanced to his side. A sniper gun lay on a tripod beside him. Medusa had given it to him before he ran off to Gotham. He held on to the straps of his wicker basket that he wore like a back pack, and glanced back at his watch. It was ten o'clock, and Mifune saw his target walk up to the window. He stood up, reaching behind his back to grab one of his many swords.

"Time to go," he murmured to himself as he jumped off of the roof, sword in hand. He soared over the gap of the city, and kicked the window, shattering through the clear glass shards. His target backed away, his hands trying to cover himself from the sharp glass. Mifune glanced up, walking towards his target.

"Who are you?" his target shouted, backing away towards a polished wooden countertop. Mifune clenched his steel sword.

"No one," he said, "You're going to die, anyways, so it won't matter."

Mifune dashed forward, holding his sword back-handed in front of him. His target opened a drawer under the counter top, pulling out a gun. Mifune kept running, thinking he could outrun the bullets that were being fired. However, he was shot twice, directly in the chest. He fell backwards, clenching his fists as he pushed his arms outward in front of him.

But he didn't fall, he only stumbled. His target stood still, watching Mifune in awe. Mifune glanced down at his chest, only taking notice of the bullet holes in his shirt, and the wounds that didn't appear. He looked up at his target, who was out of bullets. Mifune jumped forward, pushing the sword in front of him. He slashed his target from his shoulder down to his hip. His target fell, blood spurting from his body. Mifune stepped back, placing his sword in his wicker basket. He glanced at his coat, and gave it a small tug. He was going to have to get a new one, wasn't he? But he didn't have time for thinking about a new shirt, because he heard footsteps coming to his left. He looked in the direction of the footsteps. A large mahogany door was beginning to open.

Mifune ran towards the window, and quickly jumped out. He soared through the air and down to the ground below. He was inches away from the nearest window that was on the building in front of him. He gripped the ledge, skidding to a halt. He took a breather, holding on to the cement ledge. He looked over to the apartment building he had just stormed into. A boy and a girl were in front of his target, along with several body guards.

"Dad!" the boy screamed, "Dad!"

Mifune bit his lip, and turned away. He began scaling the building, jumping from ledge to ledge until he reached the roof. He sighed, sitting on the edge of the roof. He felt the straps of his wicker basket rub against his shoulders._That was so messed up,_he thought to himself. He sat for a bit, watching the Gotham skyline, just as his target had only minutes before.

"Blood drips when evil,

Spreads throughout the world, eating,

Consuming, my soul." Mifune murmured his haiku softly to himself. He got up, and took one of his swords out of his wicker basket. He looked down upon it, upon the blood that covered its entirety. Was he evil to kill someone to protect another? Thoughts stirred in his head, thoughts that begged for an answer for everything that he had done. But he shook his thoughts off, just as he had shaken off everything that had bothered him in his life.

"One ice cream?" the 7 Eleven cashier asked as he typed in several numbers into the cash register. Mifune nodded, tying his jacket around his waist. Blood stains wouldn't make a good impression on anyone.

"That will be two dollars fifty cents," the cashier said, rubbing his acne filled forearm.

"Here you go," Mifune said, passing the teenage clerk three dollars. Mifune picked up the ice cream.

"Your change, sir?" the teenager said, holding two quarters.

"Keep it," Mifune said as he pushed the glass door outward. He walked out into the cold Gotham air, and onto the sidewalk. He ran across the parking lot and onto the side of the sidewalk that was home to hundreds of apartment buildings and alley ways. The smell of dust and air pollution hung in the air as he walked towards home, Angela's ice cream in hand. It was a Dib's chocolate ice cream, so it wouldn't melt for a while. Mifune sighed, thinking of the boy that cried for his father. He blinked, shutting his eyes for a moment as he tried to drown out his thoughts. He heard a rustling behind him, and turned around. A boy with thin glasses wearing a black trench coat stood about fifty feet behind him. Mifune frowned, and stopped in his tracks.

"Who are you?" he asked gruffly. The boy took off his glasses and folded them over his trench coat.

"My name's Dick Grayson," the boy said, "And I believe you are Mifune Hoshigaki, correct?"

Mifune kept still.

"Yeah," he said, "How do you know my name?"

"We go to the same high school. You're in my second class."

Mifune blinked, remembering the young boy genius named Richard Grayson.

"Oh yeah," he said, "I remember you. What do you want?"

"I was looking for you because you haven't been in school for nine days. You never contacted the school, so they asked me to look for you."

"I was sick," Mifune said quickly, "And forgot to call the school. I'll call them tomorrow."

"But you're not sick," Dick said warily, "In fact, you seem rather healthy to be walking in the snow without wearing a jacket."

Mifune bit his lip.

"I was getting something for my landlord," Mifune said, turning away. Dick frowned.

"Right," he said, "I'll tell the teacher that you're just sick."

"Thanks," Mifune said as he walked away down the sidewalk. He could hear Dick walking away._Good riddance,_Mifune thought to himself. He stopped in front of an intersection. A street light turned green, even though the road was abandoned. Mifune dug his hands into his pockets, walking across the cross walks. He glanced up, wondering if the dark buildings of Gotham were taller than they used to be. He sighed, thinking of Angela. Would she be happy with what he was doing now? Would she be happy that he was murdering people and becoming a lab rat?

_Probably not,_Mifune thought to himself as he passed the Gotham city limits. Medusa's warehouse was only about a mile away, now. About a fifteen minute walk if Mifune followed the highway he was walking on. Even the road was deserted at this time of night. Mifune glanced at his watch. It read:_1:18 AM._

"Is it really that late?" Mifune asked himself, rubbing his drowsy eyes, "That sucks. Oh well."

"Absolutely splendid," Medusa congratulated, smiling her devilish smile, "The conclusion of the White Star mafia was that the Lord Death mafia took them out."

"Who's that?" Mifune asked, sitting against a wooden chair and biting on a toothpick. Medusa jotted down some notes on her notepad as she leaned over the kitchen counter.

"They're this new gang going around. They're really more like a cult though, since they're trying to preach that they're killings are in the name of justice, truth, and all the boring, clichéd things."

"Oh," Mifune remarked, chewing on his toothpick. All was quiet, not a sound escaping the room. Medusa finally spoke up.

"Your next target will be killed next week," she said, "After we take on the West Union Bank."

"When are we robbing the bank?"

"Next Wednesday."

"So...in three days, right? Today's Sunday."

"Exactly," Medusa said, "I have a question."

"Ask away," Mifune replied. Medusa paused, and then spoke.

"How did it feel to kill someone?"

Mifune tensed, gripping the Dib's box. The ice cream had already melted, and Angela was asleep. Mifune blinked, trying to understand the gravity of the question he was just asked.

"I'll give you a while to answer that question," Medusa said, walking away with her notepad. Mifune caught a glimpse of what was written on it.

_He's still too weak,_it read in blue ink.

Mifune bit his lip, frowning in anger. The physical experiments were better than the mental ones Medusa was giving him.

"I have a question for you," Mifune asked as Medusa was about to close the door to her room.

"What?" she asked. Mifune stood up.

"Why do you do this? Why do you mess with people's lives, huh?"

Medusa smirked.

"Cause it's fun," she smiled, "And it helps me with learning more about super powered humans."

"That's wrong," Mifune said, "Messing with people for your own amusement."

Medusa laughed.

"There's no right or wrong in this world," she said, "'Evil' is just what ignorant people call something or someone they don't like. 'Good' is the propaganda of the world. But you understood that when your parents died, right?"

"What do you mean by understanding it when my parents died?"

Mifune gritted his teeth. Medusa was getting on his nerves.

"I mean," Medusa said, "That I know about your parents. They were shot to death, right? But the police never investigated it. They closed it the first day they investigated, right?"

"Yeah," Mifune agreed, "They did. But they said there was no DNA evidence."

"Cases were solved without DNA before. I did my own little investigation, Mifune."

"What did you find out?"

Medusa smirked.

"I found out they didn't care. When I went to get your tools, I happened to come across those policemen talking about your parents' death. They were talking about how boring it was."

"You're lying."

"Sure," Medusa said sarcastically, "Believe what you want, but remember this. Presidents, police men, all the 'heroes' of our world, they can be bribed. They can be the most 'evil' things you've ever experienced. But to the public? They're considered 'good.'"

Medusa shut the door quietly, leaving Mifune to his thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7:Heist

Chapter 7: Heist

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Review!

"You ready?" Eruka asked as she buckled her belt and placed rectangular glasses over the bridge of her nose. Mifune reached for his sword and adjusted it onto his belt strap.

"I suppose," he said, "This is my first robbery."

"Yeah," Free said, kicking his foot against the ground, "You get used to it."

Medusa walked in.

"Eruka," she scolded, "You aren't in disguise yet. Hurry up."

"Right," Eruka agreed, running towards the bathroom to change. Mifune walked to the kitchen, got a tooth pick, and chewed on it nonchalantly.

"Nervous?" Medusa asked. Mifune shook his head.

"A bit annoyed," he replied, "I just wanna get this over with."

"Of course," Medusa said sarcastically with a smile. Free shrugged.

"Robberies are boring," he said, "No action."

"No action?" Mifune asked.

"You'll see," Medusa said cheerfully, gliding over to a closet. She opened the wooden door, and pulled out an old, dusty broomstick.

"Why're you bringing that thing out?" Free asked. Medusa smirked.

"I'll be watching from above."

"I'm ready!" Eruka announced, skipping into the room. She adorned a blue wig that was short in the back and had long bangs in the front. She wore a grey business suit with a matching skirt and black high heels.

"You look like you're twenty five, man," Free said, a grin on his face.

"Whatever," Eruka said, ignoring Free. Medusa opened the warehouse door.

"Let's fly," she announced, hopping on her broomstick as she flew out into the midday air. Eruka ran to the closet and grabbed another broomstick as Free jumped onto Medusa's broomstick. Eruka stood in front of the open warehouse door. She turned to Mifune.

"You comin'?" she asked. Mifune nodded as he sat next to Eruka as she flew into the air with Medusa.

"We'll be going to the West Union Bank, remember?" Medusa shouted to Eruka.

"Yeah!" Eruka shouted, "We go east, right?"

"Yeah," Medusa yelled, "Just follow me if you forgot."

Medusa steered leftwards, Eruka on her tail. Eruka turned to look at Mifune.

"So, uh, you excited for the operation?" she asked cheerfully.

"No," he growled, "I'm actually against it."

"Oh," Eruka mumbled with disappointment. She swerved to the side as Medusa did.

"Why did you join this group?" Mifune asked out of the blue. Eruka was silent for a moment, and then spoke.

"I ran away...from my parents. I don't know why, they were good to me, treated me right. Guess it was just too boring, y'know? No action, just going to school, doing homework, living a dull, useless life day after day. So I ran off, Medusa found me, noticed I was a witch, and we hit it off. You?"

"I ran away, like you, from people who were gonna separate me and Angela. Medusa found me, like you; she said you found me."

"I did. Medusa wanted me to find a witch with a chameleon hat."

Mifune raised an eyebrow.

"Why?" he asked.

"She didn't tell me much. Just that that particular witch was a part of Mabaa class."

"What's Mabaa class?"

"You know Mabaa, right? The head witch?"

"Yeah, she's Medusa's mom."

"Well," Eruka started, beginning to descend on a parking lot, "Mabaa created a class of witches based on their power. There are the Fighting type, like Medusa, and the Spell type, like Arachne. But Mabaa is so powerful that she makes her own class, called Mabaa class."

"Creative name there."

Eruka smiled as they landed.

"I know, right?" she said, a small laugh coming from her as she hopped off the broomstick with Mifune. Medusa was waiting, her arms crossed.

"I would prefer if you keep up with me," she snarled, "We're on a schedule."

"Right Medusa," Eruka replied, bottling herself up as she fiddled with her fingers. Medusa gestured beside her to Free.

"Eruka will be going that way. We will be staying here until she gives the signal. Then, we will meet at the seven eleven that is across the street. If needed, we will show ourselves to combat any certain superhero teams that get in our way..."

Everyone was silent as Eruka walked off. Medusa smiled.

"Now," she grinned, "Let's start the real fireworks."

"Hello, welcome to West Union Bank," the blonde bank teller grinned, "How may I help you?"

_Beep, Beep, Beep._

The blonde bank teller smiled through thick lipstick and dull, uninterested eyes. Eruka kept a straight face and passed a note. The teller picked it up.

"Now what's this?" she asked, reading it. Her face turned to dread and pity. She passed the note back to Eruka and walked to the back of the bank. Eruka waited patiently until the teller came back with a briefcase. She handed it to Eruka. She smiled, remembering what she wrote on it:

_Please give me one million dollars. Some guy approached me a couple hours ago and tackled me down. He tagged a bomb on me and said that he needed me to rob a bank or he'd blow me up. Please don't call the police, 'cause he told me that the electronics in the bank could set the bomb off. I'm really scared._

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

_"Thank you,"_Eruka whispered hoarsely as she walked out of the line that stretched out the door. She paused, and turned to see the teller shifting uncomfortably as she picked up a nearby phone. Eruka smirked, pulled out a small orb from her pocket, and placed it on a small plant as she walked out._What a b*tch,_she thought to herself as she held onto the knob of the bank door.

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

_That's the last one, _Eruka thought as she walked out the door.

_Now,_ she said to herself, _Let the symphony begin!_

A crashing sound was heard behind her as she turned around. The bank burst into a fiery inferno; shrapnel flying through the air as blood was spilled. Civilians ran through the streets while some stood in horror, not knowing quite what to think as the explosion erupted.

_Ah, what a beautiful, destructive sound,_ Eruka said to herself as she pulled out a cell phone and began to dial for the police.

"Hello, 9-1-1 speaking, what is your emergency?"

"People are dead! There're explosions at the West Union Bank! Oh my god, oh my god-"

"Where are you currently at?"

"The West Union Bank, dammit! On first street! Come please, oh my god, someone's arm got torn off!"

"I've already sent police, ma'am, remain calm. The situation will be handled."

"Oh my god, oh my god, this is crazy..."

_Click!_

Eruka walked off, disposing the phone in a nearby trash can. She closed her eyes, and took off her glasses, placing them in her pocket. She looked up at the sky, and began to chant.

"Ero, ero, ero, ero," she chanted as her eyes began to turn a deep red, "Lift me from this curse, O' divine one, let the flames erupt into an era of peace, ero, ero, ero..."

The flames behind her exploded once more, turning a dark shade of purple as Eruka ran off to the seven eleven. She pushed her way through the crowds, past the white ceramic fountain that adorned the town square, and jay walked through the line of stopped cars whose drivers paused to take a look at the destruction. Finally, she saw Medusa, who was standing by a trash can, her arms crossed.

"This is going better than I expected," Medusa grinned, "Good job, Eruka."

Eruka gave her the case as they walked back towards the bank.

"Why are we going back?" Free asked. Medusa tossed him the case.

"Take care of that," she growled, "And we're going to the bank to be false witnesses. In this destruction, we can make any story we want and the police will believe it. We need an alibi for where we were instead of running off to get caught."

"I thought this plan was full proof," Mifune commented. Medusa smirked.

"Then this will make it perfect," she said as they began to sit on the porcelain fountain. Water sloshed over onto the cobblestone ground from the explosion.

"This is boring," Eruka complained amidst the crowds running for their lives. Medusa smiled.

"Good," she murmured to herself, looking at the puddles on the cobblestone ground, listening intently to the sounds around her, "They're finally here for the fun."

"What'd you say?" Eruka asked, but forgot about her question as her jaw dropped as she turned to see the sky. Free looked up, but only to drop the briefcase, however Medusa picked it up. Mifune glanced, and bit on his tooth pick. The people he hated the most had arrived.

The superheroes were here.

There were five agents in total. Mifune barely recalled their names.

_I know one of em's called Superboy, and the other Robin. The other four...?_

One of them, a teenager with green skin, called out.

"We're the Young Justice team!" she shouted, "All of you are currently under arrest."

"Yeah," a boy with red hair and a yellow costume grinned, "What she said."

Medusa smirked, and glanced at Mifune, then at the ground.

"Well, my children," she smiled, "Show them your skill."

Free and Eruka nodded, and jumped forward towards the girl with the green skin and Superboy. Mifune stepped back.

"I don't hurt kids," he growled. Medusa shook her head.

"It doesn't matter. You don't need to kill them, just get them far away as I take the briefcase to base. You can do what you want, alright?"

Mifune frowned, but shook his head as he pulled out his katana.

"Gimme ten minutes," he said as he walked away, Medusa flying off into the midday sky. Free was handling Superboy and the boy in the yellow suit, while Eruka was holding off the girl with green skin and two others.

"Listen to my symphony!" she shrieked, pulling out two red orbs. The girl with the green skin punched them away before they exploded. Bystanders were screaming and running for their lives. Mifune jumped forward, shoving a girl in a green suit and a boy in a red and black suit away from Eruka, who was burned from her own bombs. They backed away to regain their balance.

"Robin!" the girl in the green suit shouted amidst the screams, "Who is this guy?"

"Don't know much, Artemis," the boy called Robin replied as he pulled out a black bow staff and listened to an earpiece, "But I know he's an expert samurai from what Batman's telling me."

"Batman..." Mifune said, "You trust that guy?"

Robin stood still for a moment, looked at Artemis, and then spoke.

"Why do you care?" he shouted. Mifune shook his head.

"Let's just say when I needed him most he never came to the rescue. However..." Mifune sheathed his sword, and then spoke.

"I do not want to hurt you," he said, "I prefer not to hurt children."

"But you're a kid yourself," Artemis said, "Why do you regard others as children, then?"

Mifune shrugged.

"Children," he said, "Don't need to be dragged into adult problems like you or any other super children."

"Then why are you here?" Robin asked. Mifune blinked.

"I'm protecting someone I care the most about," he said, then frowning, "You are trying my patience. Go, or I will hurt you as Boss Medusa has ordered me to do."

Artemis pulled out a bow and arrow.

"Sorry, buddy, but-"

Artemis gasped, looking behind her. Mifune stood behind her, holding his katana to her neck. A group of leaves fell from his hand.

"Watch out for illusions," he warned as he grabbed her ponytail, slamming her to the ground as he pulled his sword away from her neck. The concrete below her cracked.

_I will cut her,_Mifune thought dangerously. He began to slam his sword down, until he heard a light_shing! Robin blocked off Mifune's sword with his staff. Artemis lay unconscious from the impact._

_...Uses nature as illusions, like turning into leaves and reappearing,_ Robin said to himself as he tried to push the sword away.

Mifune looked up.

"I see you are friends," he said with a blank face. Robin grinned.

"Guess you could say we're marvelous acquaintances," he said as he pushed his staff against Mifune's sword, causing it to push up against his torso.

"Are you Dick?" Mifune asked. Robin raised his eyebrows.

"Uh, no," he said. Mifune shook his head, back flipping away from the staff.

"Yeah you are," he said, "You always used to say really smart words to show off your intelligence. You were in my class at Gotham High."

Robin bit his lip.

"Batman didn't say you were street smart, too."

Mifune laughed.

"I haven't smiled in a while, kid," he said, trying to avoid bursts of laughter, "But I've lived on street smarts. I never was rich like you."

"That doesn't matter," Robin said, trying to punch Mifune, "I can beat you in a fight."

Mifune grabbed his wrist, and flicked it to the side. A sharp cracking filled the air. Robin gulped, noticing the broken wrist as Mifune clenched it.

"You have nothing to protect, not a care in the world 'cause you're so rich," Mifune growled, "Without anything to protect, you can never be strong."

Robin smirked, despite the pain.

"So you're super strong, eh?" he said.

"Excuse me?" Mifune asked, "I don't get what that-Hey!"

Robin hit Mifune across his temple with the staff, causing him to be pushed back.

"I can't feel pain anymore, you idiot," Mifune shouted, "I haven't for three years!"

Robin tossed a small metallic ball. Before Mifune could move, the ball erupted into a cloud of smoke. Mifune coughed, covering his face with the collar of his white shirt. He glanced to his side.

_If he were to attack me,_he thought,_He would probably-_

Mifune was cut off from being pushed down into the cement._Something_had struck him from above, he just wasn't sure what. The smoke cleared as Mifune looked up at his attacker. The Superboy stood high, his eyes beginning to flame bright red. Mifune gritted his teeth, and grabbed a switchblade from his pocket, throwing it into Superboy's chest. It broke into hundreds of shards. Superboy grabbed his collar.

"That isn't exactly gonna work," he snarled. Mifune smirked. He pulled back his hand into a fist, and punched Superboy, causing him to be pushed back.

"But that did, right?" he said, "Just stop fighting, it's futile. With Medusa coming, your fight will be useless."

"Who said that chick would ever come?" Superboy asked, wiping blood away from his mouth. Before Mifune answered, he began to strike again, this time at Mifune's abdomen. Mifune gasped, his breath stolen. He glanced down, first at Superboy's shocked expression, then at his stomach. Blood poured mercilessly. Mifune pulled back, noticing that Superboy tore through his stomach. He was in pain, a pain he hadn't felt in a long time.

_It'll heal,_he thought desperately,_Just need to pull back and I can-_

"Superboy!" Robin shouted, "Hit him again! Batman is telling me he can heal! You need to knock him out_now!"_

Superboy nodded, and jumped towards Mifune. He gritted his teeth in pain, and tried to pull his sword up to defend himself.

_Dammit!_he thought,_I can't move, I can't do anything, I can only..._

Mifune was punched into the ground, cement flying through the air like paper scattering when a piñata is torn. Superboy stood above him on the ground that was still intact, above the enormous hole that Mifune was lying in. Robin stood next to him.

"Guess strength can come elsewhere, right?" he shouted. Mifune groaned.

"Angela..." he murmured to himself, "Where is she gonna go if I go to jail...?"

Robin jumped into the hole with Superboy, holding a set of handcuffs in one of his hands.

"Superboy, you can cuff him, right?" he asked. Superboy nodded as Mifune shook his head. He glanced to his side. His sword was still intact, amazingly.

_I have to stab him,_he thought,_I don't want to. I can barely move, but..._

Superboy pulled him up into a seated position, but paused.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, turning to Robin. Robin quieted down to listen to the stillness in the air.

"Yeah...it sounds like..." he drifted off, and then looked to the sky. A small girl was flying top speed on a broom stick, her short brunette hair flying through the air. She screamed only once, but that was all that was needed.

"MIFUNE!"


	8. Chapter 8: Discovered

Chapter 8:

Angela landed in front of Mifune, pushing Superboy away with the force of her broom. She pushed her arms outwards, trying to seem intimidating.

"Don't bully Mifune!" she yelled. Superboy and Robin looked at each other for a moment, then back at the still shrieking Angela.

"Mifune's just protecting me from people 'cause I'm still not good at magic!" she screamed, waving her arms frantically as she tried to punch Superboy's legs.

"What is she doing?" Superboy asked as Angela began chanting, "Meanie! Meanie!"

"Uh, this is a little awkward..." Robin began, but was cut off by Mifune as he stood up shakily in front of Angela.

"You can have me," he gasped, "But if you try to hurt Angela I will defend her with my life."

"Dude, you're taking this the wrong way," Superboy said. Mifune clutched onto his sword, his wounds beginning to heal.

"I. Don't. Care." he said sternly, "You're a threat, and Medusa's told me to stop you."

Robin brought out another smoke bomb, attempting to throw it at Mifune.

"No." Robin heard from behind him. Mifune grabbed onto his cape, leaves beginning to put him back together as he rammed Robin into the cement floor. Superboy turned to face Mifune, quickly throwing a punch. Mifune ducked, trying to slash at Superboy's legs. However, Superboy grabbed Mifune's hair, pushing him into one of the cement walls. Angela kicked Superboy in the leg, but only to get a side glance.

"Leave Mifune alone!" she screeched. Superboy paused for a moment. Mifune glared at him, blood dripping off his chin. Superboy glanced at Angela, then at Mifune.

"You know her?" he asked Mifune. He nodded, and then spoke up.

"I take care of her," Mifune growled. Superboy bit his lip, pondering whether Mifune was still a threat. All was quiet for the moment.

Superboy stood back as he let go.

"Go," he said, "Just stay away from Medusa."

Mifune nodded.

"I thank you," he said, "So I'm sorry."

"What?" Superboy asked, confused, "What's that supposed to mea-?"

_BAM!_

Superboy fell unconscious as Mifune punched him to the ground. He straightened out his jacket.

"Sorry," he said, "But I couldn't risk your friends ganging up on me, especially with you by their side."

He put out his hand to Angela.

"Let's go, Angie," he said, "Before Medusa finds out we ran off."

"But Mama Medusa would be mad," Angela worried. Mifune glared at Angela.

"_Never_call her mother," he growled. Angela nodded.

"Sorry," she murmured as Mifune took her hand and picked her up while he jumped out of the cement hole. Free was fighting the green skinned girl as Eruka fought the boy in yellow and a young man with blue twin swords. Mifune quickly turned from the distracted group, running towards the apartment complex where he used to live.

"Where are we going?" Angela asked as Mifune turned into an empty alley way. He slowed down to a stop in front of a sewer manhole cover.

"We can hide in the sewers 'till the night comes," he said as he pushed away the cover. Angela frowned with distaste while Mifune climbed down the metal ladder. He pushed the cover back in place.

"This is too crazy," Tsubaki murmured in nervousness. She stood in White Star's office, glancing worriedly over the Gotham skyline. Black Star played an app on his iPhone 5. Tsubaki turned in anger.

"Aren't you worried?" she asked, "A bank just exploded!"

"So?" he said in boredom, "Joker's done worse."

Tsubaki began pacing about, her hands behind her back.

"This is bad, very, very bad..." she kept telling herself. She paused as the mahogany door from the side of the room opened. Bleached white hair, pale skin, and dark red eyes came into the room.

"Hello, kids," White Star said as he greeted the two teenagers, "How's it going?"

The bombing was a disaster. Medusa sat in the STAR labs warehouse watching the evening news. Eruka had been taken into custody along with Free. There was a knock on the door. Medusa lifted her finger, murmuring an incantation to herself. The door opened, revealing Crona.

"Did you run away from the job I gave you in Metropolis?" Medusa growled. Crona nodded, rushing inside.

"Free and everyone got captured," she/he said anxiously, "I saw the news."

"I know," Medusa said, flipping through the TV channels.

"Where's Mizune?"

"Doing another job for me. Go to your room."

Crona shifted uncomfortably.

"Okay," she/he muttered as she/he walked away.

"Strange," Medusa growled at the TV, "How Mifune isn't in jail right now..."

"This stinks," Angela complained as she sat next to Mifune in the sewer.

"It was a last minute decision, sorry."

Angela frowned, crossing her arms.

"I still don't like it."

Mifune glanced at his watch. It was 8:58. They had been sitting for close to five hours. Mifune stood, picking up Angela along the way.

"Let's go," he said, climbing the ladder up. After pushing the manhole cover away, he stood up in the Gotham night. Angela began to fall asleep as Mifune walked around the streets of Gotham, carrying Angela on his back. He passed his apartment and school, walking down a street that was empty except for a few prostitutes.

"Family man?" one woman commented. Mifune ignored her and began to walk faster. After walking for about twenty minutes, he realized he was just wandering. He stopped in front of a Seven Eleven.

"What am I doing?" he asked himself, "Why the hell did I get into this situation where the Young Justice team could be after me?"

"Mifune...?" Angela muttered, rubbing her eyes, "Can I eat something?"

Mifune nodded, walking into the Seven Eleven. At least for a minute he could forget about his current situation.

The lights seemed a bit bright inside the convenience store. A bored looking man rested his elbows on the store counter. Short black hair covered his head, and he adorned a bright red and green t-shirt, a supposed uniform.

"Hi," the man quickly greeted, not paying much attention to Mifune as he strolled through the Seven Eleven.

"So...you can have a hotdog or something," Mifune said to Angela, "But no sweets."

Angela was already asleep. Mifune sighed at her inconsistent sleep patterns. He went to the register.

"Could I have a hotdog, please?" he asked, pulling out his wallet as the cashier wrapped up the unhealthy snack in paper.

"That will be one dollar fifty six cents, sir."

Mifune handed the cashier a two dollar bill as he walked off.

"Keep the change," he said as he left the store.

He sat on the concrete pavement in front of the Seven Eleven, and made Angela sit down next to him. He gave her the hotdog.

"You gotta eat something," he said, taking a quick nap as Angela ate her food.

"Mifune?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he replied without stirring.

"When are we going home? I'm tired."

"Soon. I promise."

He realized that he only had about three dollars in his wallet, so going to even the most repulsive hotel in Gotham was a no go. Mifune kept his hands in his pockets. He felt his katana attached to his belt. His eyes popped open. He jumped up to a sitting position.

"Wait a sec," he said to himself, "How did that guy in the store not see the sword without calling the police..."

Mifune suddenly remembered that in Gotham, the phones were under desks in a convenience store so a criminal wouldn't detect it.

"Crap..." he said to himself.

"That's a bad word," Angela said almost mockingly as she dumped the remains of her food into a waste bin. Mifune rubbed his temple, and then quickly grabbed Angela.

"Are we going home?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, almost hesitantly. He looked around, trying to see if there were any places he could hide. The only thing in site was an apartment building, but every room was likely to be locked. A panic was starting to creep up on Mifune. A police siren screeched in the distance.

_Dammit, dammit, dammit, _he thought to himself worriedly. If the police came, what would stop them from shooting at him, the one who could regenerate? He was wishing he had more of his swords, his entire wicker basket, even. He may have been able to fight the police, then. At the same time, though, he was scolding himself for having even one.

Mifune stood frozen in a panic, not knowing what to do. Should he just give up now?

_And risk having Angela in a foster home? _he thought, _I can't give up...but where should I go?!_

He craned his head upwards, hearing a loud _whooshing _sound. He nearly gasped at the sight above him.

Wonder Woman, Superman, Hawkgirl and Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, and Red Tornado flew overhead in the skies. All six lightly touch downed in the parking lot in front of Mifune. A lone figure walked up from behind, a black cape flowing in the night. Batman glared at Mifune through his ebony mask.

"Are you Mifune Hoshigaki?" Superman asked. A street light illuminated the seven figures. Mifune bit his lip, tensing up. He felt a strange burst of adrenaline.

_Maybe I should jump...? _he thought, _...Onto the apartment building..._

"See ya," Mifune said as he jumped into the air onto the apartment building over five hundred feet away. Angela screamed in fright as Mifune landed on the roof of the apartment building. Superman made quick pursuit as Mifune jumped off the building to the cement. He gave a small laugh.

_Didn't think that would work, _he thought to himself as Angela began to cry. Superman flew right behind as Mifune jumped onto another building. Wonder Woman flew overhead with the Martian Manhunter. Mifune turned in mid air, throwing a knife at Superman, but it shattered just as it had with Superboy. Angela kept screaming out of fear and crying.

"I'm scared!" she screamed. Mifune frowned as he landed onto another building, deciding not to scare Angela anymore from flying through the air. He unsheathed his katana while Superman landed softly onto the brick built apartment, a look of sympathy on his face.

"Mifune," he said, "We don't need to get violent, alright?"

"How do you know my name?" Mifune clenched onto Angela as he held her with one arm.

"Because your friends talked," Wonder Woman intruded, stepping onto the roof. Martian Manhunter accompanied her.

_"The humans who were paired with you gave us information about the woman you call Medusa,"_Martian Manhunter said in his monotone of a voice.

"Listen, Mifune," Superman said, trying to be kind despite the fact that Mifune could be considered his enemy, "We just need to know a bit more about Medusa."

Mifune held onto his sword.

"How do I know you're not just gonna take me to jail afterwards?"

Superman nodded.

"I see why you'd think that, but I think Batman can explain what we want the best."

As if on cue, Batman grappled onto the roof. His cape rustled in the night.

"Batman," Superman said, "Could you tell Mifune what we can do for him if he tells us about Medusa?"

Batman kept his usual scowl as he explained Mifune's options.

"We've made a deal with Belle Rev Prison. If you can give us enough information to help us track Medusa, we can get you a year in a correctional facility at most."

Mifune frowned.

"And if I don't say anything useful?"

"Then you'll be charged with terrorism and murder."

Mifune bit his lip.

"So...what do you wanna ask?" he said, gripping Angela. Wonder Woman crossed her arms.

"Where is Medusa?" she asked pressingly. Mifune pointed with one hand towards the outer rim of Gotham.

"There's an old S.T.A.R. labs warehouse on the outskirts of the city."

"Is there anyone else with her?" Hawk Woman added.

"There's Crona," Mifune added, "Mizune's probably there, too."

"Who are Mizune and Crona?" Superman asked. Mifune blinked.

"Uh, Crona's Medusa's...child. Crona hasn't done any crime or nothin'." Mifune didn't want Crona to be in a prison after already taking abuse from his/her mother. Mifune kept on. "Mizune is a witch friend of Medusa's. I don't know her that well."

"J'onn," Batman said gruffly, "Go to the warehouse with Hawk Girl. Superman, Wonder Woman and I will talk with Mifune while Hawk Man and Red Tornado go back to base."

Batman turned, saying, "Agreed?"

Hawkman flew off without another word with Red Tornado as J'onn and Hawk Girl checked the S.T.A.R labs warehouse. Mifune stood still as Batman turned to face him.

"Now," he growled, "Where were we?"


End file.
